A NARRATIVE OF THE 
CIVIL WAR «><!>«> 




A Supplementary Reader 
For Schools and Colleges 



ANN E. SNYDER 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



Cliaph_4l'7 Copyright i\o. 
Shelf _Si._g. 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 




My country! 'tis of thee, 
Szveet land of liberty, 

Of tlicc I sing: 
Land zvltere my fathers died! 
Land of the Pilgrims' pride! 
From every mountain side 

Let freedom ring! 



1 SUPPLEMENTARY READER. 



NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 



80516 



/ 



BY MRS. ANN E. SNYDER 

N'ashviile, Tenii. 



L ibrary of Congress 

Iwo Copies Received 
NOV 26 1900 

_^ Copyright entry 

H.J,.f^,X9± 

SECOND COPY 

Oelfvared to 

ORDER DIVISION 

N OV 8 7 19 QQ 



FOR SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES. 



Nashville, Tenn.: 

Publishing House Methodist, Episcopal Church, South. 

Barbee & Smith, Agents. 

1899. 



\ 



PREFACE. 

This book is written in a plain, unvarnished style and 
chronologically arranged. It is a truthful narrative of the 
facts and events of the great War between the States, the 
civil war. It is intended to be a supplementary reader for 
schools, being an abridgment of the author's larger volume, 
"The Civil War." It was due the young that a suitable his- 
tory of that struggle be placed in the schools, and the author 
was importuned to prepare it. The ol)jection to most histo- 
ries that have been written on the war is that they are of too 
large and bulky a character for the general reader. This his- 
tory is written for the young, many of whom are teachers. 
It is the only one separate from United States History. 

The introductory furnished by Capt. W. R. Garrett for this 
book is all-sufficient. He is one who served gallantly in the 
Army of Virginia. 

With the earnest hope that this "Nakkative of the Civil 

Wak" may answer the purpose for which it was written it is 

sent forth into the hands of the public by 

The Authok. 



Copyright, ISU'.t, V)y Ann E. Snyder. 



INTRODUCTORY. 

The Sentiments of the Confederate Veterans. 

The following extract from the report of the Committee on 
History of the United Confederate Veterans, made at the re- 
union at Richmond, Va., June 30, 1896, is given as an illustra- 
tion of the patriotic sentiments felt by the surviving Confed- 
erate soldiers. 

Reports were made by this committee at the Confederate 
reunions held at Birmingham in 1894, at Houston in 1895, at 
Nashville in 1897, and at Atlanta in 1898. Tliey all use lan- 
guage sentiments similar to that quoted in the extract below. 
These several reports were unanimouslj'^ adopted by the Con- 
federate Veterans, and have been published as authoritative 
expressions of the surviving Confederate soldiers. They 
should be read Ijy the boys and girls of the South, and will 
serve to inspire them with the lioble and patriotic sentiments 
felt by the heroes who have proven themselves great in war 
and magnanimous in peace. 

The Model and the Motto. 

Participating in the enthusiastic sentiment which pervades 
the South, demanding that Southern pens shall vindicate 
Southern history, and recognizing the growing sentiment 
throughout the United States demanding a just and truthful 
record, your committee believe that they can see in the signs 
of the times a coming corps of vigorous Southern historians. 
We expect from them eloquence, candor, patriotism, philoso- 
phy, wisdom. Trusting into their hands the vindication of 
the South and of the Confederate soldier, we commend to 
them a model and a motto. The model is, "The Confederate 
soldier;" the motto is, "Let him live in historj^ as he was in 
war and as he is in peace." 

After the Confederate soldier had fought the war to the 
end, and had displayed fidelity, courage, and skill which 
have never been surpassed, he yielded when further resistance 
would have been folly and crime. When admiration for his 
valor and confidence in his honor led his antagonists to offer 
honorable terms, he accepted them in the same magnanimous 



4 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 

spirit in which they were offered. He surrendered us the 
Ijrave surrender. His surrender meant peace and concilia- 
tion. He obeyed the order to "ground arms." His tears 
and his musket fell together to the ground. The war was 
over. He had fought with honor, he surrendered with hon- 
or, and he has abidetl the issue with honor. He returned to 
the Union as an equal and he has remained in the Union as a 
friend, with no humble apologies, no unmanly servility, no 
petty spirit, no sullen treachery. He is a cheerful, frank cit- 
izen of the United States, accepting the present, trusting the 
future, and proud of the past. He has built the New South— 
for there is a Ne\\^ South. But this New South is the legiti- 
mate offspring of the Old South. It is not a galvanized corpse 
worked into life by batteries without. It is a healthy expan- 
sion of forces from Avithin. The New South is the work of 
the Confederate soldier, as the Old South was the work of his 
father. The Confederate soldier loves Ijoth. The New South, 
in material development, will rise above the Old South. We 
shall have a denser population, larger cities, more stately 
buildings, more ample revenues, more widely diffused intelli- 
gence, richer men, wealthier corporations: but we shall never 
have a higher social order, nobler sentiments, purer aspira- 
tions, grander men, or more devoted or truer women than 
the men and women of the Old South. 

The Confederate soldier feels this, and he laments the Old 
South as a parent that has passed away. He turns to the New 
South as to his child, and Avith affectionate solicitude he de- 
votes his life to rear and protect it. He knows the South is a 
part of the United States. He sees that its best interests de- 
mand peace and conciliation. In the language of the eloquent 
Georgian: '-He is in the house of his fathers, and he has come 
to stay." He is a patriot by natm'e; he has never ceased to 
be a patriot. 

The Stars in the Fla(4. 

He must love some country, and he has no other country 
to love. He sees the stars and stripes float over the laud. He 
gazes upon that liag, and counts its stars. Who placed them 
there? He traces the thirteen stars that rc])resent the origi- 
nal States, and all the glorious history of the llevolution pass- 
es before his mind. He looks at tlie brilliant constellation 
that answers to the States formed from Western lands ceded 
by Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia. Who placed those 
stars in that tirmamenf.'' His fathers. What venerated im- 
age comes ))efore him Avhen he gazes on that constellation 
which answers to the States formed out^)f the province of 
Louisiana? Thomas Jetl'erson. The stars that answer to the 
States formecl from Florida and Oregon recall James Monroe. 
The lone star of Texas and the stars which glitter for golden 
California and the Mexican cessions bring up the memories 



INTRODUCTORY. 5 

of John Tyler and James K. Polk. While these shining wit- 
nesses bear their silent testimony, the territorial growth of 
the United States expands before his vision, and the Confed- 
erate soldier honors the tiag which cannot Avave M'ithont tes- 
tifying to this great work of the Sonth, while it proclaims 
alike the glory of the American Union. He learned to^ love 
that Hag when he was a boy. He loved it even when he 
fought it. Every impulse of his generous nature prompts 
him to love "Dixie" and the "Star-Spangled Banner.** 

The Confederate soldier is a patriot of the highest type. 
He was a soldier because he was a patriot. He is a peaceful 
citizen because he is a patriot. He has forgiven the war, 
with its attendant injustice of invasion and reconstruction. 
He has risen above the humiliation of surrender. From the 
hero of war he has grown to be the hero of peace. In this 
character he deserves to be painted by history. 

Model for the Historian. 

Then let the Confederate historian be like his model, the 
Confederate soldier. He must be patriotic, for he is repre- 
senting the cause of patriots. He must be candid, for a par- 
tisan work will not live in history, and will fail to convince 
the world. He must be accurate, for even slight inaccura- 
cies would be detected and would cast suspicion on his work. 
He must be patient in research, for much of his material is 
scattered and difficult of access, and he must make no asser- 
tion that is not sustained by evidence. He must be philosoph- 
ical; calm and logical treatment is essential to the discussion 
of the social, economic, and political ]jroblems of the great 
confederated republic, the conflict of whose centrifugal and 
centripetal forces has baffled the philosophy of the Old World. 
He must be enthusiastic, but his enthusiasm must be re- 
strained by judgment. This enthusiasm must be both sectional 
and national, and this judgment must be both minute and 
comprehensive. He must l)e bold and fearless, but always 
liberal. He must be eloquent, for he is dealing with a lofty 
theme, the most gigantic internal struggle which history 
records, the grandest contribution which the nineteenth cen- 
tury has made to human greatness, America* s proudest title 
to martial glory. He is painting for future ages the picture 
of that eventful epoch whose memories are the joint heritage 
of all Americans, and which is destined to occupj^ in Ameri- 
can history the pathetic place w^hich the war of the roses now 
occupies in the annals of England and in the hearts of Eng- 
lishmen. 

In the foreground of this historic picture your committee 
would place a noble pile of Parian marble, pure and chaste, 
strong and enduring, on Avhose high summit there shall kneel 
the figure of the Southern woman, the guardian angel of the 



b A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 

Confederacy, with eyes turned to heaven, and sacred hands 
extentled in unceasing blessings on the heads and hearts of the 
fathers, husl)ands, brothers, and sons of onr Southland. 
Respectfully submitted. 

Stephen D. Lee, Chairman; H. A. Newman, 
W. R. Gakrett, W. p. Campbell, 

J. N. Stubbs, F. S. Ferguson, 

Clement A. Evans, Winfield Peteus, 

Ellison Capeks, J. O. Caslek, 

8. G. French, W. Q. Lowd. 



ILL US TEA TIONS. j,^^^ 

Fort Sumter in 1861 57 

Battle between the Monitor and the Merkimac ... 57 
Destruction of Cotton at the Taking of New 

Orleans G9 

Harper's Ferry 69 

Destruction of the Hatteras by the Confederate 

Steamer Alabama 85 

The Sumter Running the Blockade, and Chased by 

THE Federal Ship Iroquois 85 

Col. John Overton's Residence, Gen. Hood's Head- 
quarters AT THE Battle of Nashville 187 

Mr. Wilmer McLean's Residence, Where Gen. Lee 
Surrendered 187 

MAPS. 

Battlefield of Fort Donelson 33 

Northern Virginia 93 

Battlefield op Gettysburg , . 98 

Naval EnGxVGement in Mobile Bay 155 

Battlefield of Franklin 166 

Battlefield of Nashville 170 

Sherman's March to the Sea 174 



CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER I. Page 
The Causes ^ 

CHAPTER II. 
The Secession of the States 1^ 

CHAPTER III. 
Affairs in Missouri ^^ 

CHAPTER IV. 
Battle of Cheat Mountain 26 

CHAPTER V. 
FoiiT Donelson— Permanent Organization 31 

CHAPTER VI. 
Affairs on the Water ^^ 

CHAPTER VII. 
Gens. Van Dorn and Sibley in the West 41 

CHAPTER VIII 
Island No. Ten— Shiloh— New Orleans 43 

CHAPTER IX. 
Gallant Defense of Richmond 47 

CHAPTER X. 
A Series of Important Events 53 

CHAPTER XL 
Movements in the West Again. 64 

CHAPTER XIL 
Campaign in Northern Virginia '^'4 



8 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XII [. P,,.,,. 

MURFKEESBOKO — GaLVESTON — AltKANSAS PoST Ti> 

CHAPTER XIV. 
Impressment — Batteries and Gunboats 88 

CHAPTER XV. 

ChANCELLORSVILLE — ViCKSBUKG — GETTYSBURG 5)2 

CHAPTER XVI. 
Siege of Charleston — Morgan's Raid 104 

CHAPTER XVII. 
Chickamauga — Martial Law in Kentucky 110 

CHAPTER XVIIL 
Rappahannock— Missionary Ridge 116 

CHAPTER XIX. 
Minor Operations in the West 124 

CHAPTER XX. 
Invasion of Mississippi and Alabama . . „ 131 ' 

CHAPTER XXI 
In Virginia Again 137 

CHAPTER XXIL 
Gen. Sherman in the South 146 

CHAPTER XXIII. 
Battle of Mobile Bay— Gen. Grant in Virginia 154 

CHAPTER XXIV. 
Battle of Franklin, Tenn 165 

CHAPTER XXV. 
The End 182 



Appendix 191 



A NARRATIVE OF THE 
CIVIL WAR. 



CHAPTER I. 

THE CAUSES. 

From the very character of the people that settled 
what is known as the Northern or, more strictly, the 
New England States, and those that settled in the 
Southern section of the country, one can easily see 
that in the course of the peculiar development of 
each natural and distinct lines of difference will be 
the result, Consequently in the narration of the 
momentous struggle of the eventful years from 1860 
to 1865 it is eminently proper to briefly outline the 
causes that led up to it, going back to colonial days, 
to explain the heated antagonism that fell like the 
burst of a storm cloud upon the country. 

The emigrants that settled the New England States 
were, for the most part, religious malcontents. The 
memory of Marston Moor and Cromwell was still 
fresh, and the royal head of Charles rolling from the 
block was not the act of a distant past, but was close 
enough in time to be a reality. The restoration 
came, and with it the Puritan, who thought he saw 
all the result of his hard-fought victories sw^ept 
away. He was against the house of Stuart and all 
the nobles that took their stand by its fortunes. 
Consequently, after having emigrated from the 
mother country, these feelings became more intense 
in character. In their new home, the foundations 
of which were 'laid from the persecutions which pro- 



10 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 

duced the civil war in England, they began to con- 
struct a civilization peculiarly their own — a civiliza- 
tion which was a compound of persecution and 
bigotry. Forgetful of their own unhappy past, they 
soon possessed qualities which made England to 
them an unkind stepmother. The district that they 
had settled was barren and rocky, consequently agri- 
culture was followed only as a matter of necessity. 
This encouraged the growth of cities and city life, 
which proved a great success as time passed on. 

Turning now to those colonies of the South, histo- 
ry shows a civilization purely imitative in character, 
differing in every essential feature from that de- 
veloped at the North. These emigrants were neither 
political nor religious refugees, but were rather act- 
ing under the impulse of a venturesome age that 
made them leave their island home and seek the El 
Dorado of the new world. Now were they all Eng- 
lish. The Huguenots came over. Those who had 
followed the white plume of good Henry of Navarre 
united their race and lineage with the descendants 
of the victors of Cressy and Poitiers. Here was a 
commingling of royal blood. The soil of this new 
country was fair and fertile beyond description. 
Consequently the greatest inducements were held out 
to the agriculturist, and, as a natural result, city life 
was here discouraged and the growth of large plan- 
tations inevita])le. 

The Slavery Question. 

Into both sections— thus begun, indeed, under the 
same circumstances, but differing widely as to the 
character of the people who settled them' and the na- 



THE SLAVERY QUESTION. 11 

tiire of the civilization that must necessarily follow 
— negro slavery was introduced. Those who were in 
the civil war had no part in its introduction, but 
their ancestors before them. Little was thought 
that one day a great excitement would be kindled, 
which would light the world with its glare. 

The slave was no profit to his owner save in agri- 
cultural pursuits. Therefore in the New England 
States he was very soon found to be out of place and 
a loss to his owner. Their owners found no difficul- 
ty in disposing of them at a fair price to the plant- 
ers of the Southern States. It w^as soon discovered 
by their former owners that slavery is a curse and 
slaveholding a crime. 

From the nature of the two questions as already 
outlined, one may see that a cause, however slight, 
may beget an antagonism which will grow in inten- 
sity as the years go by; until, finally, to natural di- 
\'isions and distinctions artificial ones will be added. 
Among the latter difierences the question of slavery 
became the all-important one; and one, too, that at a 
very early date in the history of the country created 
more bitter and more intense opposition than one 
would expect from the nature of the question alone. 

As far back as 1787 controversies arose in regard 
to the slavery question. 

In 1820 the admission of the State of Missouri fur- 
nished a cause for a battle with the discordant ele- 
ments, the result of which was the forming of 
Mason and Dixon's line, which produced only a 
temporary peace. The aged Thomas Jefferson wrote 
to a friend in regard to this measure: "It [the ques- 
tion of slavery] sleeps, but is not dead. A geograph- 



12 A NARKATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 

ical line coinciding with a marked principle, moral 
and political, once conceived of men, will not be ob- 
literated; every new irritation makes it deeper." 

The agitation of the slavery question l)ecame in- 
tensified into a kind of religious fanaticism. Failing 
to agree, the war had to come. 

State Rights and Centralization. 

When any community or association of men de- 
velop into certain principles and opinions that grow 
and increase in force and intensity to such an extent 
as to call into existence two distinct divisions com- 
pletely discordant with each other, so that the peace 
and welfare of either one or the other is threatened, 
then naturally a question of permanent separation 
arises. 

There arose two very widely different interpreta- 
tions of the questions: Federal Constitution, its 
power, its limitation, technically called " State 
rights;" and " centralization." 

In the beginning the original colonies formed a de- 
fensive and offensive alliance in the war against 
Great Britain. At the termination of the Revolu- 
tionary war the league was formed and ratified into 
the United States of America, with the individual 
liberties of each State guaranteed. Therefore it can- 
not develop any particular right in any one section 
to interfere with systems recognized as legal and 
legitimate at the time of the original union of the 
States. It is that which Rome exercised over her 
provinces gained by the might of the sword, which 
Bonaparte exhibited after victories in Germany and 
Italy, and which England showed in her dealings with 
the American colonies. 



CHAPTER II. 

THE SECESSION OF THE STATES. 

Actual withdrawal from the Union began Decem- 
ber 20, 1861, by the Legislatm-e of South Carolina 
passing the ordinance of secession. Six days later 
Maj. Anderson, with the United States troops, evac- 
uated Fort Moultrie, in Charleston harbor. In »Ian- 
uary, 1861, Florida seceded; followed by Mississippi 
on the 9th of the same month, Alabama on the 11th, 
Georgia on the 20th, Louisiana on the 26th, and 
Texas on February 1. Thus, in less than three 
months all the cotton States had left the Union by a 
unanimous vote of the people, and secured all fortifi- 
cations except the one in Charleston harbor. Just 
one month from the secession of South Carolina, 
Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi; Messrs. Kilpatrick 
and C. C. Clay, of Alabama; and Yulee and Mallory, 
of Florida, resigned their positions in Congress. 

The State of Virginia was not quite ready to se- 
cede. Accordingly, February 4, 1861, the Legisla- 
ture met and passed a resolution for a peaceful settle- 
ment of the difficulties. At first this line of proce- 
dure seemed to meet with a favorable response. 
Shortly afterwards the Legislature was again called 
together, and an election was held, showing that a 
majority were opposed to an unconditional secession 
of the State. Subsequently Tennessee and North 
Carolina decided to call a convention. The apparent 
reluctance of these States to rush at once into the 
matter seemed to encourage the government author- 



14 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1861. 

ities, believing that some of the slaveholding States 
on the border would remain in the Union. 

The Confederacy Established. 

Meantime the six seceded States began to take 
steps tow^ard establishing a provisional government 
by a convention of delegates from each assembled at 
Montgomery, Ala., February 4, 1861. After four 
days' deliberation this body adopted a Constitution 
for the Confederate States of xlmerica, which differed 
very little from the Constitution of the United States 
of America. Hon. Jefferson Davis w^as elected Pres- 
ident, and Alexander Stephens, of Georgia, Vice 
President. This new government began to make 
preparations to make good its claims among the na- 
tions of the earth. It began with gaining possession 
of different United States forts and arsenals. Fort 
Moultrie and Castle Pinckney, at Charleston, were 
captured by State troops; Fort Pulaski, at Savannah; 
Mt. Vernon, Ala., was taken, with twenty thou- 
sand stands of arms; Fort Morgan, in Mobile Bay; 
Forts Jackson, Philip, and Pike, near New Orleans, 
together with the customhouse and mint; arsenals at 
both Baton Rouge and Little Rock, Ark. 

Martin Crawford and John Forsyth, both of 
Georgia, were sent as commissioners to Mr. Seward, 
Secretary of State at Washington, in regard to Fort 
Sumter. The United States government at this time 
was preparing for a siege, the commissioners being- 
ignorant of the fact. The fleet, Avith reenforcements, 
appeared off' the harbor April 12, 1861, at the same 
time threatening the city of Charleston. Mr. Walk- 
er, Confederate Secretary of War, ordered Gen. 



18(51. THE FIRST GUN. 15 

Beauregard to demand the immediate surrender of 
Fort Sumter. In reply to the Confederate general 
Maj. Anderson wrote as follows: " I have the honor 
to acknowledge the receipt of your communication 
demanding the surrender of Fort Sumter and its 
evacuation, and to say in reply thereto that it is a 
demand with wdiich my sense of honor and my obli- 
gation to my government prevent my compliance." 
Gen. Beauregard had now no other course save to 
accept the gauntlet of war thrown down to him. So 
April 12 he sent word by his aid to Maj. Anderson 
that he would open lire with his batteries one hour 
from that time. 

The First Gun. 

The signal shell that opened in real earnest the 
great struggle between the States of our great re- 
public of America vient from Fort Johnson with its 
red glare across the sky of that momentous dawn, 
April 12. This was followed by the fire from Fort 
Moultrie, Cummings' Point, and the floating bat- 
teries. The Federals endured in silence until even- 
ing, when they opened terrific fire. The bombard- 
ment of the Confederates began to tell. The garrison 
was driven from the barbette guns, and the walls 
began to crumble away. The Federal fleet off the 
harlior remained passive. Why they took no part in 
the fight is explained by Capt. Cox: '•'As we neared 
the land, heavy guns were heard, and the smoke and 
shells from the batteries that had opened fire on Fort 
Sumter were visible. Inmiediately I stood out to in- 
form Capt. Rowan of the Pawnee, but met him 
coming in. He hailed me and asked for a pilot, de- 
claring his intention of standing into the harbor and 



16 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1861. 

sharing the fate of his comrades in the army. 1 went 
on board and informed him I would answer for it 
that the government did not expect any such gallant 
sacrifice, having settled upon the policy indicated in 
the instructions to myself and Capt. Mercer." 

On the shore Confederate troops were in raptures 
over the prospect of victory. 

April 13 every Confederate battery opened tire 
upon Fort Sumter. In the afternoon a shot from 
Fort Moultrie tore the flagstaff from the walls of 
Fort Sumter. Seeing the desperate condition of the 
garrison, Gen. Beauregard sent three of his aids 
with a message to Maj. Anderson to the effect that, 
as his flag was no longer flying and his quarters in 
flames, he desired to offer him any assistance he 
might need. In a short time the flag of truce was 
flung to the breeze. After two days' bombarding 
Fort Sumter surrendered. Certainly it was a day of 
great rejoicing in Charleston. As a testimonial to 
the gallantry of Maj. Anderson, Gen. Beauregard not 
only agreed that the garrison might take passage for 
New York at their own convenience, but also allowed 
them to salute their old flag with fifty guns. 

Proclamation of War. 

April 14, 1861, the great proclamation calling for 
troops was sent forth as follows: " Having thought 
fit to call forth, do hereby call forth the militia of 
the several States of the Union 75,000 strong, in or- 
der to suppress said combination, and to cause the 
laws to be duly executed and enforced." 

Antagonism begets antagonism of like proportion 
md equal degree, so the Southern States, one softer 



1861. BATTLE OF BETHEL. 17 

another, refused to furnish the government troops. 
Gov. McGoffin, of Kentucky, tried to be neutral; 
while Gov. Ellis, of North Carolina, replied that he 
could take no part in violating the laws of the land. 

On April 17 Virginia adopted the ordinance of se- 
cession, followed by Arkansas, May 4; North Car- 
olina, May 20; and Tennessee, June 8. 

April 19 saw the lirst drop of fratricidal >blood. 
The United States troops, in passing through Balti- 
more, were attacked by the citizens. 

On the same day (April 19) President Lincoln 
issued his proclamation declaring all ports of the 
South in a state of blockade, and threatening that 
any interference upon the high seas would be con- 
sidered nothing less than piracy. Letters of marque 
had already been issued by the Confederate govern- 
ment. Just at this time Gen. Lee resigned his po- 
sition in the regular army. He was at once placed 
in command in Virginia. The Federals evacuated 
Harper's Ferry on the same day- of President Lin- 
coln's blockade proclamation. 

On May 20 the seat of the Confederate government 
was removed to Richmond, Va. 

The first invasion of Virginia was begun by the 
Federals occupying Alexandria May 4, the State 
troops falling back and taking position at Fairfax 
C. H., under command of Gen. Bonham, of South 
Carolina. 

Battle of Bethel. 

On June 20 Col. J. Bankhead Magruder, who was 
intrenched at Great Bethel Church, nine miles south 
of Hampton, was attacked by Gen. Pierce, with four 
thousand Federal soldiers. A battery of Richmond 



18 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1861. 

howitzers were the first to receive them. They re- 
treated from their guns, and Capt. Bridges, of the 
First North Carolina Regiment, retook them. They 
advanced to the charge bravely. After considerable 
amount of skirmishing and artillery firing, the Fed- 
erals were heavily reenforced under command of 
Gen. Winthrop, who had excited the admiration of 
the Confederates by his conspicuous gallantry. 

The partial victory of the Confederates at Bethel 
was followed by a disaster at Rich Mountain. The 
main body of Federals was under Gen. McClellan, 
twenty thousand strong, advancing toward Beverly, 
with the main object to get in the rear of Gen. 
Garnett, who had been placed in command of North- 
ern Virginia. Gen. Garnett had taken a strong- 
position at Rich Mountain, his forces being arranged 
as follows: Col. Pegram, with one thousand six 
hundred men; Gen. Garnett, with three thousand 
infantry and six pieces of artillery, intrenched on 
Laurel Hill; and McClellan, with seven thousand 
troops. Gen. Rosecrans had started by a conven- 
ient route with three thousand troops to strike Gen. 
Garnett's rear. Gen. Garnett instructed Col. Pegram 
to defend his position at all hazards, which order he 
gallantly obeyed. The Federals moved in the midst 
of a pouring rain, through the tangled and pathless 
woods. They were disappointed when they failed 
to surprise the little band upon the mountain, but 
they continued to advance under a terri])le artil- 
lery fire that seemed to tear the forest asunder. As- 
saulted by more than three times their number, both 
front and rear, the condition of the Confederates was 
hopeless. Col. Pegram saw that his only chance 



1861. CONFEDERATES WIN AT MANASSAS. 19 

was to try to escape. Col, Tyler, with his com- 
mand, succeeded in doing so; but Col. Pegram, hear- 
ing that Gen. Garnett had evacuated Laurel Hill, 
was compelled to surrender. At Car rack's Ford 
Col. Taliaferro, with the Twenty-Third Virginia, 
occupied the high banks upon the right of the ford, 
but, having exhausted every cartridge, ordered those 
brave boys who wore the gray to retreat. At the 
next ford Gen. Garnett fell while encouraging this 
brave little remnant, who had contested every inch 
of ground, with everything against them. 

Confederates Win at Manassas. 

Up to this time the battles had been comparatively 
skirmishes. The first real contest was soon to begin. 
The two armies of Virginia had maneuvered and 
watched each other warily, like two huge monsters 
preparing for mortal combat. 

The Federals were under a commander of reputa- 
tion, and one, too, in whom they had all confidence: 
Gen. McDowell. The Congress of the United States 
being in session, holiday was given to permit all to 
be present at the anticipated victory. 

The brigades of Gens. Longstreet and Bonham con- 
fronted the Federals and consumed the 17th, 18th, 
and 19th of July in preliminary skirmishes along 
Bull Run and near the northwest junction of Manas- 
sas Gap. 

Gen. Joseph E. Johnston was ordered at once to 
form a junction with Gen. Beauregard. He reached 
Manassas on the 20th, and united the Seventh and 
Eighth Georgia Regiments, and the Fourth Alabama, 
under Gen. Bee, to Jackson's Brigade. He then as- 



20 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1861. 

Slimed entire command of the forces concentrated 
here, which nmnbered thirty thousand, divided into 
eight brigades. 

Soon after sunrise the Federals opened lire with a 
heavy cannonading in front of Gen. Evans at the 
stone bridge. The infantry opposed each other for 
over an hour, during which time the main body of 
Federals were crossing the Bull Run on Gen. Evans' 
left; Gen. Evans, linding that they had succeeded in 
making a crossing, moved to his left and was attacked 
by a column sixteen thousand strong, much in excess 
of his own numbers; while Gen. Burnside appeared 
in front near Wheat's Louisiana Tigers. The Fed- 
erals were further reenforced by the Second Rhode 
Island Regiment and a mounted battery, while 
Sloan's Fourth South Carolina Regiment came to the 
assistance of the Confederates. The determined and 
never-faltering valor of Wheat's Tigers soon caused 
the Federals to retreat. To relieve this point against 
the overwhelming numbers that were being massed 
against it. Gen. Bee came in with the Seventh and 
Eighth Georgia (Col. Bartow), the Fourth Alabama, 
Second Mississippi, and two companies of the Elev- 
enth Mississippi, together with Imboden's Battery 
and two guns of Washington Artillery of Louisiana. 

Thus reenforced. Gen. Evans moved across the 
plain and took up an advanced position, which he 
must hold against hfteen thousand Federals. A 
dreadful conflict of an hour's duration now ensued. 
In the meantime Gen. Sherman had crossed the Bull 
Run and was threatening the Confederate right. 
Victory now seemed inclined to the Federals. The 
Confederates began to waver somewhat, but were 



1861. CONFEDERATES WIN AT MANASSAS. 21 

checked for a time by Gen. Bee, and he too, having 
suffered terribly, was just on the point of being over- 
whehiied by the mere mass and dead weight of the 
vastly superior numbers of the Federals, when Gen. 
Jackson arrived. With the inexpressi1)le grief of 
his heroic heart depicted on his countenance. Bee 
approached him and said: '' General, they are beat- 
ing us back." '' Sir," said Jackson, " we must give 
them the bayonet." With renewed zeal and vigor. 
Bee rallied his men with the inspiring words: '' There 
is Jackson standing like a stone wall; let us determine 
to die here, and we shall conquer." 

Now was the crisis of the battle. Orders had al- 
most fatally miscarried, so that Gen. Beauregard 
had to change his plans, w^hich required the greatest 
amount of maneuvering to retrieve the almost lost 
field. 

By noon it seemed as if all the pomp and glory of 
war, together with all its horrors and terrors, had 
been turned loose in this valley, filled with smoke and 
reverberating and reechoing with the awful roar of 
the artillery, above which could be heard the old 
Southern 3^ell, which had sounded its glad notes of 
victory before, in the w^ars with the savages, at New 
Orleans with Jackson, and on the plains of Mexico 
with Taylor and Scott, and in the war with Spain the 
old familiar yell is heard. 

The Confederates^ left seemed to be overpowered. 
Gen. Johnston charged to the front with the Fourth 
Alabama. At two o'clock Gen. Beauregard issued 
orders for the whole line to recover the positions they 
had lost, which was done with a determination which 
meant victory, every regiment being in action: 



22 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1861. 

Holmes' Regiment, and a battery of artillery; six 
guns under Capt. Lindsay Walker, two regiments 
from Bonham's Brigade, with Kemper's four six- 
pounders, and live guns of Washington Artillery 
from New Orleans. 

The brave Gen. Bee fell mortally wounded at the 
head of his regiment; a few yards from him a shot 
pierced the heart of Col. Bartow, while he was 
grasping the flag of his regiment. Col. Fisher was 
also killed. It now became the Federals' time to re- 
treat, and, after a terrible resistance, they were 
driven across the pike. 

Gen. Kirby Smith, with Elzey's Brigade of the 
Army of the Shenandoah and Beckham's Battery, had 
reached Manassas. The Federals had rallied and 
turned again on the Confederate left. Gen. John- 
son ordered Gen. Beauregard to throw forward his 
whole line. The Federals were again driven back 
into the fields. They then scattered in every direc- 
tion toward Bull Run. Early and Cocke's Brigades, 
and Beckham's Battery, with Stuart's Cavalry, con- 
tinued to play upon the wagon trains. The fields 
seemed covered with the retreating blue masses, and 
the victorious Confederates continued to pursue. 
The wounded were left uncared for, and the dead left 
unburied. 

No accurate account is given of the Federal killed 
and wounded at the battle of Manassas, which must 
have been enormous — it is stated 4,500. Confederate 
loss, killed, 369; wounded, 1,4-83. 



CHAPTER III. 

AFFAIRS IN MISSOURI. 

About this time interesting events were taking 
place in the West. The Confederates encamped on 
the outskirts of the city of St. Louis had been forced 
to surrender. Gen. Jackson issued a call for fifty 
thousand soldiers, and Gen. Price placed in command 
Gens. Parson, Hindman, M. L. Clark, and Jeff 
Thompson, these troops being quartered at Boone- 
ville. On June 20 the Federal troops under Gen. 
Lyons took up their line of march in that direction. 

The barefooted soldiers under Gen. Marmaduke 
resisted manfully. Col. O'Kane surprised the Fed- 
erals while they were asleep in a large barn. 

A severe battle was fought at Oak Hill. The Fed- 
erals had ten thousand men, and lost in killed and 
wounded and prisoners two thousand; the Confeder- 
ates captured six pieces of artillery and seven hun- 
dred stands of arms. Gen. Lyons was commanding 
the Federal troops in person, while the Confederates 
were under Gens. Slack, McBride, Parson, and Rains 
on the left, with Herbert's Louisiana Regiment in 
the center. Though undriDed, they bore themselves 
with great gallantry against the Federals in com- 
mand of Gen. Sigel. 

After this battle the Confederates repaired to the 
frontiers of Arkansas, commanded by Gens. Slack 
and Parson. The character and equipment of these 
Missourians deserve a notice in our narrative. With 
old fieldpieces charged with pieces of iron, trace 



24 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1S61. 

chains, {ind battered stone they replied to those 
splendidly equipped Federal soldiers. Their cool- 
ness and desperation in trying times was remarkable; 
their valor brought forth the following lines from 
the Federal general, Sigel: '' Was the like ever seen'^ 
raw recruits standing like veterans, bidding defiance 
to every discharge of batteries." This great military 
scientist looked only to the outward and artificial side 
of the soldier; he forgot that the heart is the purpose 
that stirs to action; it was home and fireside that 
prompted those l^rave Missourians to action. 

The Federal general, Lyons, was left dead on the 
field. Gen. Price had his body nicely put away and 
shipped to his wife. 

Missouri now wheeled herself into line with the 
other Southern States, by the Legislature in session 
at Neosho passing the ordinance of secession. 

The battle of Lexington, Mo., added another star 
to the Confederate crown of victory in the West. 
Here were captured three thousand prisoners, among 
whom were Cols. Mulligan, Peabody, White, Gro- 
ver, and Van Horn, with eighteen commissioned 
officers, besides guns and ammunition. There were 
also taken seven hundred and fifty horses and a hun- 
dred and fifty thousand dollars' worth of commissary 
stores — just what the Confederates were in great 
need of. Commenting upon this victory. Gen. Price 
adds another laurel to the soldiers of Missouri: ''This 
battle demonstrated clearly the fitness of citizen sol- 
diery for the tedious operations of a siege." 

September 1, at a place called Blue Hills, which 
gave the name to the battle. Gen. 1). R. Atchison 
and Col. Sanders attacked the Federals with reckless 



1861. AEFAIRS IN MISSOURI. 25 

valor and daring, and drove them ten miles. The 
Confederates took a number of tents and many camp 
supplies that the Federals had left in their flight. 
The Federals received such heavy reenf orcements un- 
der Gen. Fremont that Gen. Price thought it best to 
fall back. The retreat was accomplished successfully, 
through the consummate skill of Gen. Jefl' Thompson 
with his "swamp" brigade. 



CHAPTER IV. 

BATTLE OF CHEAT MOUNTAIN. 

Returning now to the East, we Und matters still 
very active near Cheat Mountain. At Seay Creek, 
in the Kanawha Valley, Gen. Wise caused a retreat 
of three regiments of boys that wore the blue, and 
was expecting to do a great work, when the disaster 
at Rich Mountain exposed the little army of boys 
who wore the gray. 

Gen. Floyd, however, met the Federals at White 
Sulphur Springs, which caused them to retreat. He 
then strengthened his position on the Gauley. 

Gen. Lee arrived at the scene of action with reen- 
forcements early in August, but on account of some 
misunderstanding a retreat was ordered without firing 
a gun. Having failed to dislodge the Federals, he 
went to the Valley for the purpose of examining his 
position, then proceeded to Sewell, where he found 
Gen. Wise in front of twenty thousand Federals. 
Gen. Rosecrans, thinking the Confederates outnum- 
bered him, retreated in the night, much to the sur- 
prise of Gen. Lee. 

Gen. Lee now withdrew to Gauley, leaving Gen. 
T. eJ. Jackson behind with twenty-five hundred sol- 
diers. Gen. Jackson was attacked by the Federals, 
but repulsed them, his pickets holding them in check 
for over anhour. Believing that Gen. Jackson had a 
large number of soldiers, they retreated. 

The severity of the weather now put an end to the 
campaign in Western Virginia for a while. 



1861. CUMBERLAND GAP. 27 

Gen. Floyd was sent to Cotton Mills, where he was 
attacked by Gen. Rosecrans. He retreated, and was 
afterwards transferred to Tennessee and Kentucky. 

The Federal general. Stone, began to cross the Up- 
per Potomac October 20, at Harrison's Landing. Five 
companies of Massachusetts soldiers under Col. De- 
vins succeeded in making a crossing. A few hours 
later Col. Baker took command of the whole, with 
orders from Gen. Stone to drive the Confederates 
from Leesburg, who, under command of Gen. Evans, 
of Georgia (one of the conspicuous and heroic actors 
of the bloody field of Manassas), consisted of four 
regiments — the Eighteenth Virginia, and the Thir- 
teenth, Seventeenth, and Eighteenth Mississippi. 
Lieut. Col. Jenifer, with the Mississippians, held 
approaches toward Leesburg; while Col. Hunter en- 
gaged the boys in blue in the woods. The Federals 
being reenforced. Col. Burt, with the Eighteenth 
Mississippi, received a heavy fire. Col. Feather ston, 
with his boys in gray, came into action in double- 
quick time. The battle now became general along 
the whole line. The Thirteenth Mississippi was held 
in reserve. For two long hours the boys who wore 
the gray fought with desperation against those that 
wore the blue, forcing them to retreat across the 
river, tumbling and rolling and scrambling down 
the steep blufl's, with the shrieks of the drowning 
added to other horrors of the battlefield. 

Cumberland Gap. 

To protect the mountain passes of East Tennessee, 
Gen. Zollicofi'er was sent September 14, with several 
thousand brave boys, to Cumberland Gap. He wrote 



28 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1861. 

an order to Gov. McGoffin, of Kentucky, stating that 
the safety of Tennessee demanded that the Confed- 
erate authorities occupy these mountain passes. He 
advanced toward Somerset, causing retreat of the 
German, Gen. Schoepff, who believed that Gen. Har- 
dee was on his left flank. 

In occupying these passes it was the purpose of the 
Federals to have means open of invading Southwest 
Virginia and get possession of the salt works of West- 
ern Virginia. In the meantime the authorities of 
Kentucky demanded strict neutrality, requesting 
Gen. Polk to evacuate Columbus. Gen. Polk replied 
that he would do so if the Federals would do likewise. 

At Russellville, in November, resolutions were 
adopted asking permission to be taken in as one of 
the Confederate States, and by the middle of Decem- 
ber it was accepted, and George W. Johnson was 
chosen for Governor. 

Battle of Belmont. 

While engaged in finishing fortifications at Colum- 
bus Gen. Polk was attacked, November 17, by a 
strong force from Cairo. Hearing from Gen. Grant 
on the river,' and trying to land on Missouri shore, 
six miles above Belmont, the Federals made several 
vain attempts to gain a flank movement. Col. Tap- 
pan's forces, together with the assistance of the 
Thirteenth Arkansas and the Ninth Tennessee, com- 
manded by Col. Russell, repulsed them on the right; 
and on the left their defeat was due to the deadly fire 
of Beltzhoover's Battery. Gen. Pillow gave orders to 
charge bayonets, which was executed along the whole 
line, and the Federals retreated toward the woods. 



1862. DEATH OF GEN. ZOLLICOFFER. 29 

Here, however, they received a large reenforcement, 
and the boys who wore the gray were forced to re- 
treat. It seemed now that these boys must yield the 
palm of victory, when, just at the proper time, Col. 
Walker, with the Second Tennessee, crossed the 
river to the support of Gen. Pillow, getting in the 
Federal rear. Fresh troops came, whom, with the 
Eleventh Louisiana Regiment, he placed under com- 
mand of Col. Marks. The Federals now turned their 
attention to the boats which were used in transport- 
ing the Confederates across the river, and opened a 
heavy fire upon them. To oppose this movement, 
Capt. Smith's Battery was located on the opposite 
bank of the river. Gen. Cheatham was pressing 
the Federals on their Hank, Cols. Marks and Russell 
in the rear, while Smith's Artillery was thundering 
in front of them. Gen. Polk had crossed the river 
and reached the Federal surgical headquarters, where 
they captured needed supplies. At this battle Gen. 
W. H. Jackson was promoted to the rank of colonel 
for gallantry in command of the Seventh Tennessee, 
Capt. Carnes taking Capt. Jackson's place. 

The Confederates lost in killed and wounded 632, 
while the Federals lost fully three times that number. 
Thus the battle of Belmont is recorded as a victory 
to the Confederates. 

Death of Gen. Zollicoffer. 

Resuming the narrative of the exploits of Gen. 
Zollicoffer in Eastern Kentucky, we find that he had 
moved his forces to Mill Springs, on Fishing Creek, 
January 1, 1862. Here Gen. Crittenden assumed 
command. The army was in great distress on ac- 



30 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1861. 

count of want of provisions for both man and beast. 
The severity of the winter made their situation 
wretched. Gen. Crittenden began to charge Gen. 
Thomas, Avith ten thousand men, at Beech Grove. 
On January 19 the battle began in real earnest, Gen. 
Zollicoffer leading the front. The Federals Avere 
driven back. Just as Gen. Zollicolfer mounted the 
crest of a hill he was shot by Federal Colonel Fry, 
and fell back in the midst of his dearest friends. Bat- 
tle's noble regiment of Tennesseeans. Lieut. Evans 
Shields, of Gen. Zollicoffer 's staff, fell mortally 
Avounded, and died at Somerset, Ky. H. M. Doak, 
of Nashville, was the last one of his comrades to see 
the gallant soldier. Maj. Henry Fogg Avas also mor- 
tally wounded, and carried from the tield by his com- 
rades. Gen. Crittenden Avas forced to retreat to 
Monticello. 

In the meantime Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston A\^as 
placed in command of the Western Army, and his 
line embraced sixty miles beloAV Louisville, on the 
railroad. The Federals advanced to Munfordville, 
part of their forces crossing Green River to Wood- 
son ville, where they Avere attacked and defeated by 
Gen. Hindman, December 17, 1861, with a loss of 
lifty killed. 

Gen. Johnston was forced to abandon his position 
at BoAvling Green, on account of the immense num- 
bers, under Gen. Buell, threatening to overpoAver his 
army, for it is estimated that the Federal troops in 
Kentucky consisted of one hundred thousand, mostly 
Western men, the bravest men that Avore the 1)1 ue, 
which was fairly proved in almost every battle in 
which they participated. 



CHAPTER V. 

FOKT DONELSON— PERMANENT ORGANIZATION. 

The distinguished Federal general, Grant, moved 
up the Cumberland River, and, after a gallant resist- 
ance, forced the brave defenders of Fort Henry to 
surrender. He then proceeded against Fort Donel- 
son. Here Gen. Johnston, knowing whom he was 
fighting, sent the best divisions of his troops to meet 
them. 

February 6, 1862, Gen. Bushrod Johnson assumed 
command of Fort Donelson. Fort Henry fell on the 
same day, and on the 9th of the same month Gen. 
Pillow succeeded Gen. Johnson. Day and night the 
work was pushed on the fortifications. 

The line of intrenchments commenced on a ridge 
south of Dover; westwardly for tw^o miles; deflected 
northward, at the point held by Porter's Battery; and 
thence northwest a half mile to Hickman Creek. 
Porter's, Graves's, and Capt. Frank Maney's batter- 
ies were fearfully exposed w^hile in action. The 
morning of February 12 found Gen. Backner in 
command of the right, and Gen. Pillow the left. 
Capt. Porters Tennessee battery occupied the ad- 
vance, sweeping the road that led to the main Fort 
Henry road, flanking the intrenchments both to the 
right and to the left, and in this exposed condition 
the Confederates suffered terri})ly. 

The Federals completely encircled the Confederate 
works without much resistance. On the night of the 
12th the scene is described as follows: The atmos- 




% (X \S^^ ^f V <^' 






mmm 






1862. FORT DONELSON — PERMANENT ORGANIZATION. 33 

phere was springlike, the moon shone beautifully on 
those brave soldiers who were American citizens and 
wore the blue and gray; not a sound was heard save 
a stray shot from a picket who might be guarding 
the outpost. The dawn of the 13th was ushered in 
by the boom of artillery from the United States 
troops, which brought the boys in gray to their feet. 
Gen. Cook, with the Iowa men, sallied forth against 
the right center. Graves's and Porter's Batteries 
gave a warm reception to those Western men. The 
next attack was on the Confederates' left wing, by 
Gen. McClernand, which was responded to by Capt. 
Frank Green's Battery. For two hours the artillery 
iire w^as kept up all along the line. Also Capt. Man- 
ey's Battery, supported by Heiman's Brigade, en- 
gaged. At this point a heavy crossfire of artillery 
and small arms was forced upon the Federals. Gen. 
McClernand remarked: " The brave lUinoisans were 
truly badly worsted." Capt. Maney's men fought 
heroically. His lieutenant, Burns, was the lirst to 
suffer; his second lieutenant, Massie, was mortally 
wounded. For fifteen minutes these Western men 
stood their ground within lif ty yards of the Confeder- 
ate rifle pits; then they w^ent down the hill; came up 
again and renewed their attack. This time the bat- 
tery set fire to the leaves, and they went back the 
last time amid the cries of their comrades, wounded 
and dying and smothering from the smoke of the 
burning leaves and bushes. Col. John C. Brown 
discovered the approach of the Federals upon Gen. 
Heiman's center. He directed Capt. Graves to charge 
them, and within a short time the whole column was 
in full retreat. The brunt of this attack was borne 
3 



34 A NARKATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1862. 

by the Tenth, Fifty-Third, and Forty-Eighth Regi- 
ments of Tennessee, and Capt. Frank Maney's Bat- 
tery. Col. Quarles's Forty-Second Tennessee arrived 
in time to share the glory, also to bear the losses. 
Gen. Smith's Federals made three distinct charges 
upon Gen. Hanson, but were forced to retreat. The 
gunboat Carondet now opened upon the water bat- 
teries. Capt. Ross, with a sixty-four pound rifle, 
sent her disabled down the Cumberland. Capt. Dix- 
on, a gallant young ofiicer, was killed here. Capt. 
Tom Beaumont, of the Fiftieth Tennessee Regiment, 
was detailed, and rendered conspicuous service. 
Lieut. Hugh Bedford handled the one hundred and 
sixty-four pounder. 

A fearful storm of snoAV and sleet now set in, 
which was almost unbearable. 

On the morning of the 14th the lines were all re- 
adjusted. At three o'clock in the afternoon Admiral 
Foote steamed up with four ironclads and two gun- 
boats, which bore upon the Confederate batteries. 
Capt. Jacob Culbertson, after the death of Capt. Dix- 
on, commanded the water batteries. The furious can- 
nonading from the fleet was harmless. The bolts of 
the Confederate guns went crashing through the 
iron and heavy timbers. Commodore Foote says: 
" I have commanded the taking of forts and in several 
naval engagements, but never under so heavy a fire 
as this before." It is said of him: " He wept like a 
child when the order to withdraw was given." The 
Confederate batteries were very little injured. As 
the great monsters retreated down the stream cheers 
and shouts filled the air, which seemed almost an in- 
spiration. 



1862. FORT DONELSON — PERMANENT ORGANIZATION. 35 

Heavy reenforcements having arrived, a council of 
war decided to open a way to Nashville. Gen. John- 
ston telegraphed to ''get the troops to Nashville if 
the forts could not be held." Gen. Floyd called a 
council of his general oificers, when it was decided to 
attack the Federals' right at daylight. Gen. Pillow 
was to force the attack on the extreme left with Col. 
Baldwin's Brigade, Gen. Bushrod Johnson's Division; 
he to move out of the trenches, and Gen. Heiman to 
occupy the ditches; Head's Thirteenth Tennessee was 
to aid Gen. Pillow. 

Next morning Baldwin moved, supported by Col. 
Forrest, on the left, upon Gen. McClernand's right, 
which was in battle line awaiting. McCausland, 
Simonton, and Wharton were engaged by McAuther 
and Lew Wallace, sustained by Schwartz's, McAllis- 
ter's, and Dresser's Batteries. Instances of heroic 
courage were exhibited by both the blue and the 
gray. Many memorable individual hardships were 
endured by these brave ones. 

Gen. Forrest caused Gen. Lcav Wallace to abandon 
six ^oieces of artillery. Graves's and Porter's Batter- 
ies, on Wynn's Ferry Road, engaged in an artillery 
attack, aided by Gen. Bushrod Johnson's advance. 
Col. John C. Brown led his Tennesseeans in person 
upon Aurora Hollow, the valley to the left of Gen. 
Heiman. Maney's, Graves's, and Porter's Batteries 
made bold charges. Capt. Porter was disabled, and 
while being borne from the field he spoke to his 
brave young lieutenant, John Morton, " Don't let 
them have my guns, Morton;" to which he replied, 
''Not while I have one man left." Gen. Forrest 
took up his line of march to Nashville, as did also 



36 A NAEEATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1862. 

Gen. Pillow. Col. Johnson, finding no sentinels, 
pushed his way through. 

After nine hours' struggle these soldiers could do 
no more, with only thirteen thousand effective sol- 
diers, weakened by exposure and worn out by hard 
lighting. Great physical endurance and heroic cour- 
age was exhibited by both sides, being nearly all 
American citizens. Very few foreigners were engaged 
in this battle. 

The Federal loss in killed and wounded and prison- 
ers was fifteen thousand; Confederates' loss, five 
thousand. 

The Confederates Evacuate Nashville. 

On receiving news of the fall of Fort Donelson 
Gen. Johnson saw that Nashville could not be de- 
fended without causing the city to be bombarded, so 
determined upon its evacuation. When it was so 
determined, a wild panic extended to every point for 
miles in the country; none were expecting that to 
take place. Gov. Harris, with the Legislature, re- 
moved to Memphis. A large quantity of stores and 
provisions was lost. Even large numbers of sick and 
wounded soldiers had to be left in the hospital, but 
these were tenderly cared for by the citizens. Par- 
ticularly did the ladies bestow great kindness. 

Gen. Johnston meantime had reached Murfrees- 

l)oro, and was resting the main body of his army 

there. 

A Permanent Organization 

was effected by the Confederate government on the 
22d of February, 1862, when aff'airs did not look so 
bright for the young government as in the beginning. 



1862. PERMANENT ORGANIZATION. 37 

It seemed alinost impossible to fm-nish adequate pro- 
tection at all points both on land and sea, but the 
best possible means were being taken. Bat the 
financial aspect of the war was encouraging; for 
there was no floating debt, the credit of the govern- 
ment was unimpaired with the people, and the total 
expenditures of the government for the year were one 
hundred and seventy million" dollars. Moreover the 
recent reverses had a tendency to quicken the ener- 
gies of the authorities, so as to produce vigorous and 
active measures, among which was the conscript bill . 
All backsets had a tendency to intensify the devo- 
tion of the Southern people. 



CHAPTER VI. 

AFFAIRS ON THE WATER. 

After the abandonment of Columbus by the Con- 
federates, the defense of Island Number Ten, situa- 
ted in a bend in the Mississippi river, near the towns 
of New Madrid and Point Pleasant, Mo., was intrust- 
ed to Gen. beauregard. It was considered thorough- 
ly impregnable. 

On the 12th of October the submerged ram, the 
Manassas, made an attack upon the Federal squad- 
ron near the mouth of the Mississippi river, sinking 
the gunboat Preble, and driving the others from the 
river into the gulf. 

A Confederate Nayal Victory at Hampton Roads. 

The Confederate squadron in the James river was 
commanded by Franklin Buchanan. The fleet con- 
sisted of the Virginia, which was the remodeled 
Merrimac, that had been partially destroyed; the 
steamer Patrick Henry, twelve guns; the steamer 
Jamestown, two guns; and the gunboats Teazer, 
Beaufort, and Raleigh. With these he moved out to 
Newport News, to ofl'er battle to the Federals. 

The Federal ship Congress, with a broadside, oc- 
cupied a position below the batteries at Newport 
News, while the Cumberland was just opposite them. 
With a determination to sink the Cumberland with 
the Virginia, Capt. Buchanan steamed straight to- 
ward her, complimenting the Congress again with a 
broadside. The shore batteries, with both ships, 



1862. A CONFEDERATE NAVAL VICTORY. 39 

now concentrated lire upon the Virginia, which kept 
straight on, raking the Cumberland fore and aft with 
the discharge of her guns, and striking her bow be- 
low the water with such terrible effect that in tifteen 
minutes the waters of the ocean rolled over the Hag 
of the Cumberland. The Virginia was not satisfied 
with this success, but went to serve the Congress 
similarly. On account of the shallowness of the 
water, she could make but slow progress. She man- 
aged, however, to get in position above the James 
river batteries, though she "had to endure a second 
time the Federal lire. They were thinking that the 
Confederate "terror" had sustained great injuries, 
so as to force her to withdraw from the contest; but 
when she turned a terrible broadside upon the Con- 
gress, producing death and destruction, dismay and 
confusion, a flag of truce was run up at the mast- 
head, and the commander of the Beaufort was or- 
dered to go and take possession of her, with officers 
as prisoners, but to allow the crew to land. He also 
ordered the ship burned. 

An attempt was now made to burn the Congress, 
which the shore batteries prevented. At this failure 
Capt. Buchanan opened upon her with hot shots, and 
at midnight the citizens of Norfolk were awakened 
by the explosion of her magazine, and all that was 
left of the Congress was the scattered fragments 
floating upon the sea. 

Capt. Buchanan having been seriously wounded, 
Lieut. Catesby Jones assumed command, and the 
Virginia sailed out to meet the ironclad, the Monitor. 
For two hours thejse vessels poured a terrible tire into 
each other. Once the Virginia ran aground, being 



40 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1862. 

under double lire of ))oth the Monitor and the Min- 
nesota. After having disal)led both, the Virginia 
put back to Norfolk. 

These exploits of the Virginia created great excite- 
ment ])oth at the North and in Europe, and within 
live days after the defeat at Hampton Roads the Fed- 
eral government appropriated lifteen million dollars 
for building ironclad vessels. 



CHAPTER VII. 

GENS. VAN DORN AND SIBLEY IN THE WEST. 

In the latter part of January, 1862, the Federals 
were massing large numbers— lirst at Rolla and after- 
wards at Lebanon. Gens. Price and Van Dorn saw 
that they were getting a larger force than they could 
meet, and, as they expected, the Federals attacked 
them and forced a retreat from Springfield. The 
retreat. was a bad one, as the Confederates had to 
light their way through. 

Gen. Van Dorn was appointed by President Davis 
to take command of the forces in the West, and on 
March 3d took charge of the united forces of Gens. 
Price and McCullough. 

Battle of Elk Hoen. 

At Sugar Creek twenty thousand Federals, under 
Gens. Sigel and Curtis, were waiting for reenforce- 
ments. On March 4: Gen. Van Dorn inarched toward 
Sugar Creek, for the purpose of attacking the Fed- 
erals. 

On the morning of the 7th the battle began, and 
the Confederates were on the point of victory, when 
Gens. Mcintosh and McCullough were both killed. 
Notwithstanding the loss of their commanders, those 
brave boys gained possession of the intrenchments. 
On the morning of the 8th the contest was renewed, 
and Gen. Van Dorn continued the desperate fight un- 
til after nine o'clock, when he withdrew in the direc- 
tion of his supplies. 



42 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1862. 

The Confederates lost in killed and wounded six 
hundred, while the Federal loss is considered twice 
that much, though it is not officially stated. 

In the Far West. 

After a long March of nearly two hundred miles 
from Arizona, Gen. Sibley, with two thousand three 
hundred troops, found himself near Fort Craig, in 
which were United States troops to the number of 
six thousand, one thousand five hundred of whom 
were American soldiers, and about live thousand 
Mexicans. Having crossed the Rio Grande river, 
Col. Pryor came in contact with the Federals. With 
a second attack the Confederates were forced to re- 
treat and take up a new position. Thinking that 
they had won a great victory, the Federals mo^'e(l 
their batteries across the river, which was no sooner 
done than the Confederates charged them, and, with 
the assistance of TeeFs Battery, drove them from 
their guns and forced them to recross the river. 

In this battle of Valverde, March 21, the Confed- 
erates lost 38 killed and 120 wounded, while the 
Federals lost in killed, 300, 400 wounded, and 2,000 
Mexicans missing. The Confederates continued their 
march, forcing the Federals to evacuate both Albu- 
querque and Santa Fc. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

ISLAND NO. TEN— SHILOH — NEW ORLEANS. 

March 15 Flag Officer Foote began the bombard- 
ment of Island No. Ten, which had been so finely for- 
tified by Gen. Beam-egard. Gen. Beauregard left to 
take charge of operations on the Tennessee river. 
Gen. McCown was ordered to take charge of the 
island. On his arrival he found the Federals had 
succeeded in cutting a canal across the bend of the 
river, on the Missouri side, three miles above the 
island, to Bayou St. John. Gen. McCown built fiat- 
boats, and thereby secured his retreat. 

On April 1 Gen. McCown was relieved of his com- 
mand. April 6 Gen. McCall moved the infantry to 
the Tennessee shore. The Federal gunboats having 
passed the island in a fog, it now became a necessity 
to surrender this " Gibraltar of the Mississippi." 

The Great Battle of Shiloh. 

In massing all his forces at Corinth Gen. Beaure- 
gard's purpose was to cut off the Federals' communi- 
cation between the South and East. Gen. Johnston 
moved from Murfreesboro and took command; also 
two divisions of Gen. Polk's forces at Columbus, to- 
gether with several Louisiana regiments, and troops 
from Mobile. 

Gen. Grant occupied a position at Pittsburg Land- 
ing, awaiting the arrival of Gen. Buell, who was 
hastening from Nashville to join him. To prevent a 
junction with Gen. Grant was the object of Gen. 



44 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1862. 

Johnston. After much skirmishing the great battle 
of Shiloh was opened April 6 by Gen. Hardee ad- 
vancing against the camp of the Federals while they 
were at breakfast, taking them by surprise, and find- 
ing them unprepared. However, they quickly formed 
to meet the boys in gray, who were advancing in 
three lines, with Gen. Hardee commanding the front, 
Gen. Bragg the center, and Gen. Polk the rear. A 
sublime artillery duel began this w^ork of death, and 
the splendid composure of these soldiers of our coun- 
try who wore the blue and gray under this test gave 
prophecy of the magnificent courage which each side 
displayed on that memorable day. Rising from the 
ground, on which they were lying that the artillery 
fire might pass over them, they rushed forward, 
crushing everything before them. The scenery is 
described as follows: Far up in the air shells burst 
forth like shattered stars, and passed on in little 
clouds of white vapor; while others filled the air with 
a shrill scream and burst far in the rear. All along 
the line the faint smoke of musketry rose lightly, 
while from the mouth of the cannon intense white 
smoke burst up all around. 

At half past two Gen. Johnston, commander in 
chief of the Confederate forces, fell mortally wound- 
ed. Riding up to him. Gov. Harris asked him if he 
was badly hurt. The dying hero replied : ' ' Yes ; I fear 
mortally." He fell from his horse, and soon passed 
away. The Confederates soon continued to push the 
Federals to the Tennessee river. On Sunday night 
Gen. Beauregard established his headquarters at the 
little church at Shiloh. The sokliers of both armies 
slept on their arms. Gen. Grant was relieved by the 



1862. THE GREAT BATTLE OF SHILOH. 45 

glistening bayonets of Gen. BuelFs command. Gen. 
Buell was hailed to the field of slaughter with cheers. 
To avert further sacrifice of human life Gen. Beaure- 
gard agreed to withdraw his forces, being unable 
to stand longer such overpowering numbers. Ap- 
proaching Gen. Breckinridge, he said: "Gen. Breck- 
inridge, it may be you will sacrifice your life; this 
retreat must not be a rout; you must hold the Feder- 
als if it takes your last man." "Your orders shall 
be executed," replied Gen. Breckinridge. 

The Federals lost nearly all their artillery, over 
three thousand prisoners, a division commander, 
several brigade commanders, an immense supply of 
subsistence and ammunition, and a large number of 
means of transportation. 

On Sunday the Confederates were engaged with 
the commands of Gens. Prentiss, Sherman, Hurlburt, 
Smith, and McClernand. The Confederates suffered 
much from loss of officers. Gen. Gladden, of South 
Carolina, fell mortally wounded; also Gov. George 
W. Johnson, of Kentucky; Gen. Bray had two 
horses shot from under him; Gen. Breckinridge was 
struck twice; Maj. Gen. Hardee had his coat torn by 
minie balls; Gen. Cheatham received one in the 
shoulder; Gen. Bushrod Johnson was wounded in the 
side; Col. Adams, of Louisiana, Colkit Williams, of 
Memphis, and Gen. William B. Bate, of Tennessee, 
received several injuries; and Col. Blythe, of Missis- 
sippi, was among the killed. 

The Confederate loss in this terrible battle was 
10,000, while the Federal loss was 20,000. 

Gen. Beauregard retired to Corinth as a strategic 
point. 



46 A NARBATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1862. 

Fall of New Orleans. 

New Orleans was considered impregnable. The 
city was occupied by a large force under Gen. Lov- 
ell, and in its harbor was a fleet consisting of twelve 
gunboats, one ironclad steamer, and the famous ram, 
Manassas. The Federal fleet engaged was forty-six 
sail, carrying two hundred and eighty- six guns and 
twenty mortars, the whole under the command of 
Admiral Farragut, a distinguished officer. April 24 
the Federal fleet opened fire on the Confederate fleet, 
which was vigorously returned. In one hour several 
Federal boats succeeded in passing the forts, the first 
one in disguise, having Confederate night signals 
flying, which allowed her to pass the Confederates 
unmolested. On receiving this news the whole city 
was thrown into intense excitement. The conflict 
between the fleets was of a dreadful character. The 
Confederates burned their vessels, and drove them to 
shore. The Manassas was sunk, and the great iron- 
clad Louisiana was not in good working order. 
Gen. Lovell withdrew his army to save the city from 
destruction. The evacuation was begun April 24. 
As soon as the Federal fleet came along the river the 
work of destruction began. For five miles along the 
river the cotton was piled and burned, preventing its 
being confiscated by the Federals. Great steamers 
wrapped in flames floated down the river. Fifteen 
thousand bales of cotton were consumed. The city 
was left in charge of Mayor Monroe, Gen. Butler 
taking possession May 1. 



CHAPTER IX. 

GALLANT DEFENSE OF KICHMOND. 

Turning now for a brief glance at civil affairs, the 
government at Washington, astonished at the prolon- 
gation of the war, was worried at the failure of Gen. 
McClellan to take Richmond. Consequently the Sec- 
retary of War issued instructions to the command- 
ing generals to seize upon any and all private prop- 
erty. 

At the South the government began to despair of 
foreign recognition. The disaster at New Orleans 
put an end to all their hopes in this respect. To in- 
crease the number of soldiers it became necessary to 
pass a conscript bill, which was done in May, 1862. 
This created a considerable opposition in the minds 
of the people, inasmuch as they considered it a reflec- 
tion upon them. 

Kernstown — Jackson Repulsed. 

March 23 we find Gen. Jackson attacking the Fed- 
erals at Kernstown, near Winchester, Va., with six 
thousand troops, among which was Capt. McLaugh- 
lin's Battery and Col. Ashby's Cavalry. The battle 
continued until dark, when Gen. Jackson fell back to 
Cedar Creek, having sustained a loss of one hundred 
in killed and wounded. 

With the Federal forces enveloping Richmond, 
both from the land and from the river, one can see 
the necessity for vigorous action. The repulse of 
the Federal gunboats upon their attack on the batter- 



48 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 



1862. 



ies at Drewry's Blutf, under command of Capt. Far- 
rand, May 13, caused them to retreat. 

Battle of Williamsburg. 

May 5 Gen. Hooker's Division came near Wil- 
liamsburg, with the rear guard commanded by Gen. 
Longstreet, the Federals being in a forest near 
Williamsburg. Gen. Hooker came out of the forest, 
was attacked and forced back. Gen. Shields came to 
his assistance. Gen. Longstreet engaged nine bri- 
gades under Gen. McClellan from sunrise until sun- 
set, thereby securing Gen. Johnston's safe retreat. 
He had won a brilliant victory. Gen. McClellan 
agreed to a loss of 450 killed and 1,400 wounded. 
Gen. Longstreet carried with him heavy artillery, 
the design being that Gen. Franklin should move to 
West Point, at the head of York River, and land for- 
ces there to attack Gen. Johnson. May 7 Gen. Frank- 
lin tried to land under protection of gunboats, at 
Barbamsville, but was forced to retreat by Whiting's 
Division of Texas troops. Franklin hurried back to 
his flotilla. He was compelled to abandon Yorktown. 

Jackson's Successes in the Valley. 

Gen. Jackson was sent into the Valley of Virginia, 
the object being the concentration of forces, which 
took place immediately around the city of Richmond. 
May 8 Gen. Jackson proceeded to attack Gen. Mil- 
roy, with twelve thousand troops, at McDowell. 
Gen. Jackson being thrice outnumbered by the Fed- 
erals, the irresistible charge of Johnston's Brigade 
(consisting of Virginia Volunteers and the Twelfth 
Georgia Regiment), just as the sun was going down 



1862. PORT REPUBLIC. 49 

after a beautiful day, caused the Federals to retreat. 
This was a costly victory to Gen. Jackson, in that he 
lost three hundred and fifty killed and wounded; Fed- 
erals, seven hundred. 

Gen. Jackson moved upon Gen. Banks at Port 
Royal, seizing a lot of artillery and fourteen hun- 
dred prisoners. Gen. Banks, thoroughly alarmed, re- 
treated toward Winchester. May 24 Gen. Jackson 
struck Gen. Banks's retreating column. The Feder- 
als managed to reach Winchester, however, only to 
be again met on the 25th by Gen. Jackson. Of these 
proceedings we quote from the Federal commander, 
who has proved himself to be a great man, '' Pursuit 
by the enemy was prompt and vigorous, l)ut our 
movements were rapid," which fact the general 
truthfully relates of those boys who wore the gray. 
The Confederates lost only a few men, but they cap- 
tured four thousand prisoners, and much supplies for 
man and ])east. 

(ten. Jackson Defeats the Federals at Port 
Republic. 

Gen. Jackson fell back from Winchester between 
the two forces of Fremont and Shields, the former 
numbering twenty thousand and the latter ten thou- 
sand. He then marched toward Port Republic, and 
was attacked by the Federal General, Fremont, on 
June 8, while Shields's Division was coming upon the 
other bank (east) of the Shenandoah river. Thus, so 
to speak, between two fires, he left that portion of 
his troops under Gen. Ewell to look after Gen. 
Fremont, while he kept Gen. Shields on the other 

side of the river, displaying a remarkably good judg- 
4 



50 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1862. 

ment in the management of the light. When night 
came, it was found that Gen. Ewell had driven the 
Federals back, Avith two thousand killed and wound- 
ed, while his owm loss was less than two hundred. 
Under cover of darkness Gen. Jackson moved across 
North Kiver, leaving a few boys behind to keep 
the distinguished man, Gen. Fremont, from fol- 
lowing him. So on Monday he began to attack 
the Federals, who were waiting patiently on the 
east bank of the Shenandoah. At first Gen. Jack- 
son had his hands full. So well directed was the fire 
of the l)oys in blue that it did seem that our boys 
who wore the gray, who had stood so many battles, 
must give way. Fresh troops from Port Republic 
were rapidly coming to their assistance. Gen. Tay- 
lor, with the Louisiana regiment, came out of the 
woods and charged up to the mouths of the cannon. 
The whole Federal line now gave way, the Confed-^ 
crates pursuing for twelve miles, taking five hundred 
prisoners. Jackson retired to Brown's Gap. 

Battle of Seven Pines. 

May 30 Gen. Johnston found the enemy in front 
of him on the Chickahominy river, so he determined 
to attack them the next day at dawn. For some rea- 
son Gen. Longstreet failed to get expected support, 
and the l)attle was opened without assistance. Gen. 
D. H. HilFs brave boys, who were proud to wear the 
gray, charged grandly, penetrating the Federal in- 
trenchments. It was found that the Federals held 
their position a while during the night, and darkness 
only prevented another defeat. The brave Tennessee- 
an. Gen. Robert Hatt(m, was killed. The Confeder- 



1862. MECHANICS VILLE— MALVERN HILL. 51 

ate loss was four thousand; the Federal loss, eight 
thousand men, ten pieces artillery, and six thousand 
muskets. Gen. Johnston having been wounded, the 
command of the Confederate forces at Richmond de- 
volved upon Gen. Robert E. Lee. 

Mechanicsville — Malvern Hill. 

The Federal lines along the Chickahominy extend- 
ed twenty miles on both sides of the stream, with a 
purpose of threating Richmond with a siege. That 
series of splendid battles along this celebrated little 
stream was begun by Gen. Jackson June 26. A por- 
tion of the Federals left the north bank near the 
Brooke Turnpike. 

Gen. A. P. Hill had crossed the river at Meadow 
Bridge; and at Mechanicsville, without waiting for 
orders to join Gen. Jackson, he hurled his column 
of fourteen thousand against the Federals, who re- 
sisted bravely, but finally they retreated to Powhite 
Swamp. 

On Friday, with Gen. A. P. Hill in the center, and 
Gens. Longstreet and D. H. Hill coming from the 
Chickahominy, Gen. Jackson toward the left at some 
distance charged the Federals, and by eight o'clock in 
the evening the Federals had retreated from the north 
to the south side of the Chickahominy. It is right 
to mention in our narrative the l)rilliant military ac- 
tion of Gen. A. P. Hill upon the forces stationed at 
Gaines's Mills. Gen. Hill was supported by Gen. 
Pickett's Brigade, from Gen. Longstreet's Division. 
Whiting's Division of Texans must here come in for 
a record of superior valor and making a masterly 
double-quick charge. 



52 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIYIL WAR. 1862. 

Having been forced to leave all their strongholds 
on the north bank, with communication cut off from 
Washington, the Chickahominy barring their way 
in front. Gens. Longstreet, Magruder, and Huger 
pressed close to their rear, Sunday morning it was 
discovered that they had left their fortifications, 
and had massed their forces live miles northeast of 
Darbytown, at a place known as Frazier^s Farm. Fi- 
nally Gens. Longstreet and Hill moved forward un- 
supported, while the Federals received them with a 
terrible lire from infantry and artillery. 

The Confederates, with as brilliant courage as ever 
illustrated the annals of war, moved on in the midst 
of shot and shell, the Federals gradually falling back. 
From their hard struggle of the day the whole armies 
were worn out, consequently they retreated before 
fresh troops. At eleven o'clock Gen. Magruder ar- 
rived and intrenched on Carter's Farm. In this l^at- 
tle, known as Malvern Hill, was the last important in- 
cident of the drama of Richmond, a great catastrophe 
for Gen. McClellan: Federal forces, 105,825; Con- 
federates, 62,695; Confederate losses during com- 
mand of Gen. Johnston, 6,084. Gen. Lee, in taking 
command, had only 56,612; reenforcement, 21,150; 
total, 80,762. Confederate losses under Lee and 
Johnston, 19,000. McClellan reached the James 
river with 85,000 to 90,000 men, pursued by Gen. 
Lee with 60,000. 



CHAPTER X. 

A SERIES OF IMPORTANT EVENTS. 

Just when the great armies in Northern Virgin- 
ia were marshaling their forces for the great conflict 
on the Chickahominy, farther South an inspiring 
victory was gained by those who wore the gray. At 
Secessionville, on James Island, near Charleston, S. 
C. , a large force of United States troops made an at- 
tack on the intrenchments of Col. J. G. Lamar. Three 
times they made brave charges, but retreated, leav- 
ing four hundred prisoners. 

After Shiloh, Gen. Beauregard had intrenched 
himself at Corinth, Miss., and made an effort to get 
the Federals to attack him. Failing in this, he moved 
his camping ground June 7 to Tupelo, a better posi- 
tion. The Federal troops occupied possession of 
Memphis, Tenn., June 6. They then turned their 
attention to Vicksburg, Miss. , but here they met an 
unexpected disappointment. After a siege of six 
weeks, during which time they threw twenty-five 
thousand shells into the city, they abandoned the 
fruitless effort. 

Between the ith and 28th of July Gen. John H. Mor- 
gan effected his famous raid. He started from Knox- 
ville, Tenn., with rangers from Georgia, Texas, and 
Tennessee, and pushed his Avay through a country 
where were to be found many who did not agree with 
his brother of the South. He captured a large num- 
ber of prisoners, with three thousand stands of arms, 
at Lebanon, Ky. 



54 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1862. 

Content with this brief summary of military oper- 
ations in the West, we now turn our narrative to the 
ever-interesting scenes in Virginia. Every foot of 
its historic ground is a battlefield, through which the 
military student of all after times (those whose wore 
the blue and the gray) may find illustrated the high- 
est ideals of his art and the loftiest examples of sol- 
dierly courage and endurance. On July 28 Gen. 
Pope was transferred from the West to the Army of 
Northern Virginia. He now took up his line of 
march toward the interior of Virginia, penetrating 
as far as ten miles east of Culpepper Courthouse. 
Against this movement Gen. Jackson was sent. On 
hearing that the latter had crossed the Rapidan, Gen. 
Pope sent Gen. Banks to stop him. 

August 12 Gen. EwelPs Division moved forward 
and took position at Cedar Mountain, and opened 
artillery lire on the Federals. The battle began in 
real earnest by the attack of Gen. Early's Brigade 
upon the Federals. The brave Gen. Winder per- 
ished as he was leading Gen. Jackson's Division. 
The Federals made a despei'ate charge through an 
open cornfield with cavalry, which created a tempo- 
rary confusion, but the Confederates soon recovered 
themselves and made a desperate charge, when night 
began to throw its black mantle over a scene fraught 
with horrors. The Federals retreated to the woods, 
leaving on the fields of Cedar Mountain nearly two 
thousand dead, five hundred prisoners, one thousand 
stands of arms, one dozen wagon loads of ammuni- 
tion, two Napoleon guns, and a large amount of new 
clothing. 

The Federal government now determined to unite 



1862. A SERIES OF IMPORTANT EVENTS. 55 

the two large armies of Pope and McClellan. Gen. 
Lee, learning that fact, rapidly made change in his 
position of forces, and on August 17 held them in 
front of Gen. Pope to prevent his crossing the Kapi- 
dan. 

By a rapid march of two days over the mountains, 
the great Jackson, misleading the Federals, succeed- 
ed in occupying Bristow and Manassas Stations on 
August 27, capturing thousands of dollars' worth of 
supplies. On the same day the Federals made an at- 
tack on both positions. Gen. Taylor's Brigade of 
Slocum's Division of the Army of the Potomac at- 
tacked Manassas, but retreated toward Centerville. 
Gen. Hooker's Division moved against Gen. Ewell 
at Bristow, forcing him back across the Muddy Run. 
Gen. Jackson, by a masterly movement, succeeded 
in getting an advantageous position on the old battle- 
field of Manassas, so inspiring from its memories of 
that former greatness which seemed soon to be re- 
peated. Gen. Stewart caused a retreat of the Feder- 
al cavalry near Gainesville, on the Warren ton Pike, 
and later in the day Gen. Jackson threw his forces 
in front of the Federals, who were advancing to at- 
tack him near the village of Groveton. 

Gen. Longstreet, in order to join his division with 
Jackson's, had to force his passage through a wild 
woods, a precipitous mountain pass known as Thor- 
oughfare Gap. It was held by a force of two thou- 
sand Federals. With its rough and steep sides and 
narrow passways this gap would seem impossible to 
climb. The Confederates made the ejti'ort, and forced 
their way, with several badly hurt. The Federals as 
well as Confederates had to climb their way down the 



56 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1862. 

mountain. The Federals advanced with artillery. 
They were received by Gen. EwelPs Division, who 
reserved their lire until the Federals were close upon 
them, when they opened lire with terrible effect, 
which caused a retreat. Gen. Jackson, reenforced 
by Gen. Hood's Division, fought with renewed ener- 
gy and caused the Federals to retreat. The Federal 
loss in killed and wounded was eight thousand. These 
attacks by the Federals were upon the wings of the 
Confederates. 

August 30 saw Gen. Pope gathering his energies 
for another attack upon these poor, worn-out soldiers 
of Gen. Jackson, the latter being reenforced by Long- 
street's Corps, which took the right, Jackson himself 
holding the left wing, the whole line forming a cres- 
cent five miles long. Opposed to these on the Feder- 
al side were Gens. Sigel, Fitz Porter, and Reno, in 
the center, and Heintzleman and McDowell on the 
left and right respectively. The Confederate bat- 
teries in the center, under Gen. S. D. Lee, opened 
rapidly. The Federals moved forward in three lines 
against Gen. Jackson's infantry. Desperately did 
these old veterans who wore the blue maintain them- 
selves against those who wore the gray. They sac- 
rificed all to redeem their trust to their brave com- 
manders. To no purpose did this elect corps sacri- 
fice their best blood in their efforts to save their 
country. Col. Stephen D. Lee turned batteries upon 
them, with Jackson and Longstreet watching the re- 
treat. Gen. Sickles' Excelsior Brigade, famous for 
deeds of daring, met with a great drawback from 
Gen. Hood's Division. An order was now given 
for a general charge along the whole Confederate 




Fort Sumter in 186]. (See page 15 ) 





Battle between the Monitor and the Merrimac. (See page 39.) 



1862. THE BATTLE OF BOONSBORO. 59 

line. Gradually these gray masses moved forward, 
cheering as they went, and sounding their clarion peals^ 
of victory above the din of artillery and the rattle of 
musketry. Gen. Franklin met the retreating Feder- 
als with thirty thousand reenf orcements. With these 
Gen. Pope restored partial order to his disorganized 
army, continuing his retreat to Washington City, 
leaving upon the battlefield a large amount of am- 
munition. Thirty-eight thousand Federals were killed 
and wounded; the Confederate loss was about one- 
half that number. 

On September 4 Gen. Lee — leaving to his right 
Arlington Heights, to which Gen. Pope had retreat- 
ed — crossed the Potomac into Maryland, his main 
object being to seize Harper's Ferry, and to test the 
people of Maryland. He then threw Pennsylvania 
into a state of consternation from Hagerstown. With 
the presence of the Confederate army at Frederick, 
and fearing an invasion of their territory, the North 
was filled with anxiety and terror. To carry on cer- 
tain important movements, Gen. Lee had to divide his 
forces into three corps, commanded by Gens. Jack- 
son, Longstreet, and Hill. He ordered Gen. Jackson 
to recross the Potomac at Williamsport and to get 
behind Harper's Ferry, with the purpose of prevent- 
ing its capture. Gen. McClellan resumed command 
of the Federals September 14, Gen. Pope having lost 
his command. 

The Battle of Boonsboro. 

Gen. Jackson had separated his own division from 
the main body of the army in order to make his at- 
tack upon Harper's Ferry, while Gen. Longstreet 



60 A NAKRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1862. 

proceeded on to Hagerstown. Gen. Miles, the Fed- 
eral commander, with twelve thousand troops, occu- 
pied Harper's Ferry. The Federals, learning of 
Gen. Longstreet's movements, turned their force to 
the gap in the mountain. As a counter movement 
Gen. Lee had placed Gen. D. H. Hill on the other 
side of the gap with part of his forces occupying the 
top, with instructions to hold his position until Gen. 
Jackson's success was assured. To understand the 
relative position of these two great armies and the na- 
ture of the battle that followed, a description of this 
pass is necessary, and certainly will be interesting to 
the reader. ''The road is winding, narrow, rocky, 
and rugged, with either a deep ravine on one side 
and the steep side of the mountain on the other, or 
like a huge channel cut through a solid rock. Near 
the crest are three houses which overlook the valley, 
but elsewhere the face of the mountain is unbroken 
by a solitary habitation." 

At the dawn of day an artillery duel of two hours' 
duration opened the battle, which was then taken up 
along the whole line. The overpowering numbers 
seemed for a while to compel a retreat of the Confed- 
erates. Gen. Longstreet, with fresh troops and with 
his rally cry, made the boys in blue more determined 
not to yield with a tenacity equal to those who wore 
the gray. Though outnumbered five times, the 
Confederates held their position until darkness 
brought a needed rest to man and beast. Jackson 
claimed the victory. 

Surrender of Harper's Ferry. 
September 14 Gen. Jackson hurled his volleys of 



1862. BATTLE OF SHAKPSBUKG. 61 

death upon the whole Federal lines and fortifications. 
The hoisting of a flag of truce surrendered eleven 
thousand troops, seventy-three pieces of artillery, and 
two hundred wagons. Their brave commander. Gen. 
Miles, had his left thigh shot away. Once again 
Jackson's ragged boys caused the surrender of a 
magnificently equipped army, blessed with every- 
thing that could be necessary to complete equipment 
and to make a soldier happy. 

Battle of Sharpsburg. 

Gen. Lee had now determined to confront the ad- 
vancing force of McClellan in possession of Cramp- 
ton's Gap, on the road from Frederick City to Sharps- 
burg, the latter place being about ten miles from Har- 
per's Ferry, resting in a deep valley in the midst of 
a rugged and l)roken country. September 17 he set- 
tled his forty-five thousand men in a strong position, 
when he was attacked by Gen. McClellan, who com- 
manded in person a force of one hundred and fifty 
thousand finely trained men, with the following divi- 
sions: Gens. Burnside, McDowell, Hooker, Sumner, 
Franklin, Williams, and Sykes. The line of battle 
of this great army extended over five miles. Tues- 
day evening (16th) the Federal batteries prepared the 
Confederates for an early renewal the next morning. 
At daybreak the battle was opened and continued by 
the pickets until it merged into a general engage- 
ment. "The Federals advanced between Antietam 
and the Sharpsburg and Hagerstown turnpike, and 
were met by Gen. D. H. Hill and Gen. Longstreet, 
where the conflict raged, extending on the Confeder- 
ate left." The mortality among the Federals was 



62 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1862. 

terrible, for they were in a position where the guns 
of the Confederates were used against them with such 
telling effect that they fell as grain falls before the 
blade of the reapers; consequently, after a stubborn 
contest and fighting as never men fought before, 
they were forced to fall back. The Confederates 
nearest where the Federals crossed the Potomac were 
on the point of being overwhelmed, when the divi- 
sions of Gens. 'McLaws, Anderson, and Walker came 
to their assistance. With these new troops the ranks 
were restored, and they held their position. 

To give the testimony of a Federal officer: "It is 
beyond all comprehension how men such as the Rebel 
troops are can fight as they do. That those ragged 
wretches — sick, hungry, and tired — should prove such 
heroes in battle is beyond explanation. Men never 
fought better. There was one regiment that stood 
up before the fire of two or three of our long-range 
batteries and two regiments of infantry, and though 
the air around them was vocal Avith the whistle of the 
bullets and the scream of the shells, there they stood 
and delivered their fire in perfect order." 

In the afternoon the Federals made a vain attack 
upon the Confederate right, which was held by Gen. 
Jones; but they met with better success in forcing 
Gen. Toom])s, of Georgia, from his position at the 
bridge over Antietam Creek. Gen. A. P. Hill came 
with reenforcements, thus swelling the number to 
seventy thousand. After nightfall, with ammuni- 
tion exhausted, both sides had to content themselves 
with a drawn l)attle, each side retaining the same po- 
sition in which it had l)egun the conflict. On both 
sides the loss was about the same — estimated between 



1862. BATTLE OF SHAKPSBURG. 63 

five and nine thousand. The Federals left during the 
night, while Gen. Lee took position at Shepherds- 
town. On the 20th the Federals made a pretense of 
attacking him at this point, but were caused to re- 
treat by Gen. A. P. Hill. The repulse time and 
again of the two glorious armies Avho wore the blue 
and the gray will give renown of brilliant courage 
handed down to our children as a military achieve- 
ment almost without a parallel. 



CHAPTP]R XI. 

MOVEMENTS IN THE WEST AUAIN. 

The North had arraiisfed a prooTamnie of opera- 
tions in the country west of the Alleghanies. These 
preparations surpassed in niaonitude all military 
movements which had been designed or attempted 
since the beginning of the war, the main object be- 
ing the expulsion of all Confederates from Kentucky, 
Tennessee, and the States west of the Mississippi 
river, and also the penetration through the Gulf 
States. The Federals were at this time on their way 
into all these places, while another army was opera- 
ting in Missouri and Arkansas. Also there was on 
the waters of the Misissippi a fleet of gunboats which 
was considered impregnal)le in strength. 

Nothing was now left for the South to do but to 
make a forward movement, by Avhich North Alabama 
and Middle and East Tennessee should be relieved, 
and the Federals forced to fall back, and assistance 
given to Gen. Buell, who was at this time in Ken- 
tucky. The brief retirement of the favorite Gen. 
Beauregard, on account of ill health, was a misfor- 
tune to the Confederates. Gen. Braxton Bragg took 
his place. The first step of this aggressive movement 
was the ordering of Gen. Kir by Smith to advance 
into Kentucky and threaten Cincinnati, the main ob- 
ject being to force the Federals across the Ohio river. 

Early in the month of August Gen. McCown moved 
his division from Loudon to Knoxville; thence the 



1862. MOVEMENTS IN THE WEST AGAIN. 65 

Confederates moved to the gap in the Cunil)erland 
Mountains, being joined by (jen. Cleburne at the low- 
er gap, Avhen the w^hole force — Avith l)aggage, trains, 
and artillery — w^ere ordered through. They then 
made a forced march until they reached Barbours- 
ville. Halting there a few hours to rest their w^ea- 
ried limbs, they pushed rapidly on to Cumberland 
Ford, and were there given several days of much 
needed rest. 

August 29 Gen. Kir by Smith found the Federals 
near Richmond, Ky., and determined to march 
against them. The leading division, under Gen. Cle- 
burne, after advancing three miles, found the Feder- 
als drawn up in line of battle in a fine position near 
Mt. Zion Church, six miles from Richmond, Ky. 
Without waiting for Gen. ChurchilTs troops, he at 
once commenced action, firing very briskly. Gen. 
Churchill was sent to turn the Federals' right, which 
he succeeded in doing admirably. At the same time 
the Federals made an attempt to flank Gen. Cle- 
burne's right, but were thw^arted by the gallant 
charge of Col. Preston Smith's Brigade, which re- 
pulsed them with great slaughter. Gen. Smith then ' 
ordered the cavalry to proceed to the north of Rich- 
mond in order to cut off the retreat of the Federals. 
The Confederate artillerymen having ceased their 
firing, the Federals, thinking the silence of their 
guns meant a retreat, made an attack upon the Tex- 
as and Arkansas troops under McCray, who met them 
and fought the battle alone, and by courageous char- 
ging upon their advancing lines forced a retreat. The 
wildest confusion was witnessed, "leaving knapsacks, 
swords, pistols, hats, and canteens scattered along 
5 



66 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1862. 

the roadside, Avhere their dead and dying too plainly 
showed the way." 

Gen. Smith received information that Gen. Nelson 
had arrived with reenforcements, and therefore de- 
termined to make a stand on a commanding ridge. 
Gens. Churchill and Preston Smith, at double-quick, 
formed in front of Gen. Nelson's center and left. 
The Confederates advanced under destructive fire 
from twice their number, and forced the retreat of 
the Federals. The worn-out, exhausted condition of 
the Southern soldiers and the darkness of the night 
prevented a further pursuit of the Federals. The 
results of the day added new glories to the Southern 
arms. 

September 4 Gen. Preston Smith, with forces con- 
sisting of a Texas and an Arkansas brigade, under 
command of Gen. Churchill, and Gens. Cleburne's 
and Heath's Divisions — all being under the command 
of Gen. Kirby Smith — was Avelcomed into the beau- 
tiful city of Lexington, Ky. 

"The entrance of Confederate troops into Lexing- 
ton was the occasion of the most inspiring and touch- 
ing scenes. Streets, windows, and gardens were filled 
with ladies and little girls with streams of red and 
blue ribbon and flags with stars and bars upon them. 
Private residences were turned into public houses of 
entertainment free to all who could be persuaded to 
go and partake of the feast with the l)oys in gray on 
Kentucky's hallowed soil." 

Many were expecting Gen. Smith to capture Cin- 
cinnati, but his orders were to menace, not attack. 
Consequently his orders were to fall back and coop- 
erate with the army under Gen. Bragg, who had en- 



1862. BATTLE OF rERllYVILLE. 67 

tered the State ])y the eastern route, crossing the 
Cumberland River at Gainesboro, with the design of 
flanking Gen. Buell. Gen. Smith's movements were 
soon discovered by Gen. Nelson. September 17 Gen. 
Bragg captured live thousand Federals at Munford- 
ville, Ky., with a very small loss on the Confederate 
side, and on October i joined Gen. Kir by Smith at 
Frankfort, Ky. 

Battle of Ferkyville, October 8. 

By harassing his rear near Perry ville the Federals 
showed Gen. Bragg that they were desirous for a 
light, he having only fifteen thousand soldiers against 
forty-five thousand of the splendidly equipped army 
of United States soldiers. About midday the battle 
opened, with Gen. Hardee commanding Buckner's 
and Anderson's Divisions on the left, and Gen. Polk 
with Cheatham's and Withers' Divisions on the right. 
Col. Powell's Brigade, on the extreme left, succeeded 
in pushing back for over a mile the largely superior 
numbers opposed to him. Gen. Adams' Brigade, after 
holding the position for three hours, retreated with 
a loss of a large number of men. When night put 
an end to this hotly contested engagement of the boys 
who w^ore the blue and the gray, bravely contested 
by both sides, the Federal loss was four thousand 
killed and wounded, seven thousand prisoners, and 
fifteen pieces of artillery; while the Confederate loss, 
in killed, wounded, and missing, was twenty-five 
hundred. 

Just as at Shiloh, the Confederates lost by over- 
powering numbers. As the shades of night fell upon 
the battle of Perry ville, Ky. , after desperate fighting 



68 A NAllRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1862. 

on both sides, such as men never fought before, a weak 
point, held sternly by Gen. George Maney's Brigade 
of Tennesseeans under command of the gallant Col. 
Fields, was attacked. Gen. Polk, seeing the situa- 
tion, waved his hat and sword at diiierent times and 
said: ''Tennesseeans, retake that l)attery." Lieut. 
Col. Patterson, with hat lifted high over his head, 
called to his men: ''Follow me, boys." It was a 
charge to death for that brave young ofticer. Maj. 
Kelly, with a courage equal to inspiration, headed 
the charge as they marched to victory. 

Among other deeds of heroism, many of which 
were performed by young boys, we know of Johnnie 
Carter, sergeant, a son of Dan F. Carter, of Nash- 
ville, Tenn., one who is well remembered. A desper- 
ate hand to hand tight was going on. These brave 
boys plunged into the jaws of death in the most he- 
roic manner. Johnnie (Serg. John Carter) grasped 
his flagstaff. When found he was firmly holding his 
Hag, seeming loath to give it up. Little did the l)rave 
boy dream a mortal wound had struck him. Leaving 
a home of luxury, an only boy of doting parents, an 
only ])rother of a loving sister, Johnnie laid his young 
life on the altar of his country. His beloved surgeon. 
Dr. J. R. Buist, and his loving parents w^ere with 
him, ministering tenderly to his every w^ant and com- 
fort. 

Battle of Cokinth. 

Having united the forces of Gen. Price with his 
own, on Friday, October 8, Gen. Van Dorn prepared 
to attack the Federals fortified at Corinth. His forces, 
consisting of only one division commanded by (xen. 
Lovell, held the right, the extreme positions on the 




^M ^mmmm 



Destruction of Cotton at the Taking of New Orleans. (See page 46.) 




Harper's Ferry, (s^ee ijuge GO.) 



1862. BATTLE OF COEINTH. 7l 

left and right being occupied by Gens. Herbert and 
Maney respectively. 

The battle began at seven o'clock by Gen. Villi- 
pigue's Battery opening a severe lire upon the Feder- 
als, which forced them to make a gradual retreat for 
two hours. Here, within half a mile of their line of 
fortifications, the Federals made a stubborn stand. 
The whole Confederate line now moved grandly for- 
ward to the attack. In the midst of one of the 
grandest fires from the Federal batteries these boys 
in gray advanced in double-quick charge, forcing the 
boys in blue from their first to their second line of in- 
trenchments. Here the l)attle ended for that day. 

Gen. Van Dorn, overconfident and ignorant of the 
strength of the army before him, telegraphed to 
Richmond the news of the victory. 

The next morning the conflict was renewed. The 
Federals, with heroic courage, received the terrific 
artillery fire, which Avas kept up until ten o'clock, 
when the whole line advanced again. Nothing could 
withstand them. But in the very enthusiasm of vic- 
tory, inspired by the spirit of battle itself, the indi- 
vidual soldier forgot order (on both sides), and in the 
greatest and wildest confusion they plunged. Here 
the Federals turned loose their batteries, and either a 
retreat or the taking of the Federal battery on Col- 
lege Hill was inevitable. The latter course was or- 
dered. Eight deep, in grim and determined silence, 
these brave men advanced almost in the very jaws of 
death itself, in the face of bullets as thick as rain- 
drops in a summer shower. Still advancing, and 
falling by the hundreds, they reached the top of the 
hill. Twice were they beaten back, but the third time 



72 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1862. 

they seemed to succeed. A cheer was raised above 
the din of battle, and the Southern cross, with stars 
and bars, floated to the breeze in the place of the 
United States Hag; but it was inunediately torn away. 
Again it was set up, and the old flag pulled down 
again, ))ut only to be shot to pieces. Physical na- 
ture inspired by divine courage could do no more. 
The bleeding, shattered ranks, after giving an exhi- 
bition of fortitude that glorifies the human race, fell 
back, followed by an increased Are from the Federals 
at close range, and the day was lost. But even then 
they were unwilling to give up the contest without 
another struggle, and retired to the shelter of the 
woods to await the expected attack of the Federals; 
but the latter seemed worn out and contented with 
the day's lighting. Consequently Gen. Van Dorn 
began to withdraw his forces. 

Next morning he was again attacked, which pro- 
duced temporary confusion, but order was soon re- 
stored, and an artillery fire was kept up all day. 
Gen. Van Dorn gradually led his troops across the 
Hatchie river, and took a position near Ripley. In 
killed, wounded, and prisoners, Gen. Van Dorn lost 
forty-five hundred men, Avhile the Federals lost about 
half that number. 

Guerrilla Warfare in Missouri. 

The State of Missouri had much to complain of. 
From one end of her borders to the other she had been 
overrun with the full license of war — robbery, mur- 
der, and pillage being the order of the day. Conse- 
quently, as a matter of self-defense, and to protect 
themselves against such, the citizens began to organ- 



1862. GUERRILLA \YARFARE IN MISSOURL 73 

ize themselves into irregular bands known as "guer- 
rillas." Troops of this character, however, did not 
disdain to try conclusions with the Federals in open 
battle. August Porter's band was attacked by a 
large force of Federals under Col. McNeib at Kirks- 
ville. and retreated after a l)attle. killing fully one 
thousand Federals and losing tive hundred men. On 
the 15th of August the same was followed by a total 
defeat of the Federals near Lone Jack ))y Hughes's 
and Quantrell's bands, only the arrival of reenforce- 
ments saving the Federals from destruction. 



CHAPTER XIT. 

CAMPAIGN IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA. 

Not satisfied with the slow movements of Gen. 
McClellan, the Federal government superseded him 
with Gen. Burnside. He began operations by mass- 
ing his forces at Fredericksburg, Va., with the de- 
termination of crossing the Rappahannock. Conse- 
quently on December 10 he began to construct three 
bridges over the Rappahannock: ''two at Freder- 
icksburg, and a third a))Out a mile and a quarter be- 
low Deep Run. The Federals were defended by their 
artillery on the hills of Stafford, which completely 
commanded the plain upon which Fredericksburg 
stands." During the process of construction the Sev- 
enteenth Mississippi Regiment of Barksdale Brigade, 
posted on the bluffs on the opposite side of the river, 
opened ffre on the Federals, which was grandly re- 
plied to with a storm of shells. Though the Confed- 
erates harassed the Federals persistently and inces- 
santly all through the night, they succeeded in fin- 
ishing their bridges. The Confederates retreated 
through the streets of Fredericksburg, followed by 
heavy fire from the Federals, which forced the citi- 
zens to evacuate the city and to flee to the surround- 
ing country for protection. By the 18th the Confed- 
erates had taken a strong position upon the bluff's on 
the south bank of the river, presenting to the Feder- 
als a front six miles in length. Twelve o'clock in the 
day the Federals moved across the valley intervening 
between Confederate forces and theirs. Gen. Stu- 



1862. CAMPAIGN IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA. 75 

art's Horse Artillery gave a terrible cannonading, 
but the Federals managed to keep on across the val- 
ley until they came within protection of the woods, 
from which position they were driven by Gens. H^ilFs 
and Early's troops, and pursued until they reached 
the shelter of their batteries. While this portion of 
the Confederate line, which consisted of Jackson's 
Corps, was thus engaged, the Federals also advanced 
against Gen. Longstreet's position on the left, and 
directed their principal attack against Mayre's Hill, 
upon which were stationed the Washington Artillery, 
of New Orleans, and a part of McLaw's Division. 
Right gallantly did the boys in gray press to the 
charge, facing the terrific fire of shot and shell 
turned upon them with such effectiveness as to make 
the ground over which they passed literally a ghast- 
ly field of dead men. Broken and shattered, the 
boys in blue reeled back into the toAvn, when night 
put an end to the conflict. The pale December moon 
gave a ghastlier appearance to a field already horri- 
ble in the extreme. The tenacity with which each 
side fought was shown in the number of killed, for the 
field is said to have been literally strewn with dead. 
At the foot of Mayre's Hill was a frightful carnage. 
The victory was indeed a costly one to the Confeder- 
ates. The number of killed and wounded signified 
much to them: it meant a vacant place in their ranks 
which could not be filled; a gap which, when closed 
up, brought the wings closer together. Consequent- 
ly the fruits of the victory at Fredericksburg hardly 
compensated for the loss they had sustained, which 
was eighteen hundred, among whom w^ere Gens. 
Cobb, of Georgia, and Gregg, of South Carolina. 



76 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1862. 

The Federal loss in killed, wounded, and missing, 
was ten thousand. Gen. Burnside crossed the Rap- 
pahannock safely Avith his shattered army. 

While narrating the story of man's stern devotion 
to duty on the bloody field of carnage, woman's qui- 
eter, though none the less noble, devotion we cannot 
pass over. Therefore, in quoting the language of a 
historian in regard to the women of Fredericksburg 
during this time, one but describes the women of the 
whole South during the shifting and trying scenes of 
the civil war: 

The romance of the story of Fretlerieksbnr^" is written no 
less in tlie quiet heroism of her women than in deeds of arms. 
The verses of a poet, rather than the cold language of a mei-e 
chronicler of events, are more befitting to describe the l)eanti- 
fiil and noble sacrifices of those brave daughters of Virginia. 
In all the terrible scenes of Fredericksburg there were no 
weaknesses and tears of women, Mothers, exiles from home, 
met their sons in the ranks, embraced them, told them to do 
their duty, and, Avitli a self-negation most touching to witness, 
concealed their wants, sometimes their hunger, telling their 
brave boys that they Avere comfortable and happy. At Ham- 
ilton's Crossing many of the women met relatives in the 
armJ^ No more touching and nol)le CAidence could be otl"ered 
of the heroism of the Avomen of Fredericksl)urg than the grat- 
itude of the army. When subscriptions for their relief came 
to be added up, it Avas found that thousands of dollars had 
been contributed by the soldier boys to the refugee fund. 
There could be no more eloquent tribute offered than this — 
a beautiful and immortal souA'enir of their sufferings and a ir- 
tue. 

The Federals in North Carolina. 

During the month of December the Federal army 
was actively engaged in OA^errunning the State of 
North Carolina. Near Kinston Gen. EA^ans, with 



1862. CAVALRY EXPLOITS. 77 

two thousand men, succeeded in holding them in check 
for three days, from the 13th to the 16th. The Federal 
army consisted of fifteen thousand, commanded by 
Gen. Foster. They then moved against Gen. Robert- 
son at Whitehall Bridge, over the Neuse river, eight- 
een miles below Goldsboro. They were forced to re- 
treat with great loss. This was followed by an at- 
tack of the whole Confederate force — under Gens. 
Evans, Clingman, and Pettigrew — upon the Federal 
position along the river (Neuse). The Federals re- 
treated to their fortifications and gunboats with a loss 
of three hundred in killed and wounded. The Con- 
federates had held the Federals in check, and had pre- 
vented them from accomplishing anything of special 
importance. 

Gen. Hindman's Success in Arkansas. 

Before closing the record in our narrative of 1862 
Gen. Hindman's encounter with the Federals on the 
2Tth of November, at Prairie Grove, Ark., must be 
related. With nine thousand men, Gen. Hindman 
sustained himself against a double force, the Federals 
making stubborn charges upon his lines. When the 
day ended Gen. Hindman had pushed the Federals 
})ack, with a loss of one thousand killed and wound- 
ed, three hundred prisoners, and a large amount of 
stores. The total Confederate loss was three hun- 
dred. 

Cavalry Exploits. 

On the other side of the Mississippi River the last 
movements of the year were signalized by Confeder- 
ate cavalry raids under Gens. Forrest, Morgan, and 
Clarkson, by which the Federals were greatly har- 



78 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1862. 

assed, for they never knew where these hard riders, 
with their gray jackets, would strike a blow. When 
they thought they had them, with guns ready to fire, 
these raiders w^ould vanish like a shadow. On De- 
cember 7 Gen. John Morgan, around whose name the 
glamour of a romantic story has spread itself, suc- 
ceeded in taking the town of Hartsville, Tenn., on 
the Cumberland River, near Nashville, Tenn., find- 
ing there two thousand stands of arms, a large quan- 
tity of provisions, twx) pieces of artillery, and eight- 
een himdred prisoners. This exploit was followed 
by Col. Clarkson with like- success, taking Piketon, 

The year 1862 had been a brilliant one to Southern 
soldiers, though overshadowed by many disasters, 
with glorious victories for the Federals. The story 
of the successive battles has given to the w^orld a 
proof of the devotion of the troops of the North 
and South, and, with the record before them, both 
sides are vigorously preparing to enter a new year. 
Gen. Pemberton was appointed to supersede Gen. Van 
Dorn at Holly Springs, Gen. Joseph E. Johnston 
was put in command of all the armies between the 
mountains and the great river, and Gen. Beauregard 
was ordered to defend the cities of Charleston and 
Savannah against a large fleet being prepared by the 
Federals. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

MURFKEESBORO — GALVESTON — ARKANSAS POST. 

At Murfreesboro, Tenn., Gen. Braxton Bragg had 
concentrated an army of thirty thousand in number, 
coming principally from the extreme Southern States 
— Louisiana^ Florida, South Carolina, Mississippi, Al- 
abama, Georgia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The hor- 
rors of battle were not new to these boys who wore 
the gray, for they were the same ones who had giv- 
en evidence of such magnificent courage and endur- 
ance at Shiloh, Perry ville, and other less memora- 
ble fields of battle. They were here resting from the 
dread alarms of war, and had entered with all a sol- 
dier's zest into the full enjoyment of the festivities of 
Christmas, when, on Friday, December 26, word was 
brought from Nashville that Gen. Rosecrans was 
marching against them with an army of over forty 
thousand soldiers, being one of the finest equipped, 
and commanded by the bravest officers. 

The scene changes from the pleasure of the ball- 
room to the sterner duties alloted them as soldiers. 

The grounds had been surveyed and examined to 
select a position for battle in case of a surprise, and 
the Confederates were thrown forward to prevent 
one, ready to meet their elegantly equipped friends 
in their suits of blue. Polk's Corps, with Cheat- 
ham's Division, occupied the center; Maney's Bri- 
gade was thrown forward toward LaVergne, where 
Wheeler's Cavalry was giving great troul)le to Gen. 



80 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1863. 

Rosecrans; a portion of Gen. Kir))y Smith's Corps, 
McCown's Division, occapied Readyville, on the Con- 
federate right, and Hardee's Corps Triune, on the 
left. The Confederates arranged in line of battle on 
the 28th, with Polk's, Cheatham's, and Withers' Di- 
visions on the west bank of Stone's River, with a front 
six miles long, which rested respectively on the Nash- 
ville and Salem pikes. Hardee's Corps and Breckin- 
ridge's and Cleburne's Divisions held a position on 
the east bank of the river, stretching over a distance 
of three miles, thus making the whole line nine miles, 
in the shape of an obtuse angle. McCown's Division 
and Gen. Jackson's Brigade were held as reserves for 
the center and right flank respectively. After skir- 
mishing and cannonading on the 29th and the morn- 
ing of the 30th, the Federals massed their forces and 
attacked the Confederate left, charging Robinson's 
Battery no less than three times; but each time were 
met by the Tennesseeans, the One Hundred and Fifty- 
Fourth Regiment. To prevent concentration against 
the left Gens. McCown's and Cleburne's Divisions 
were moved to meet them. In the meantime Gen. 
Wheeler's Cavalry had given the Federals a great sur- 
prise, capturing a large wagon train and many pris- 
oners. Although this cold December night chilled the 
boys of both armies alike as they sat around the camp 
lires, their ardor was not dampened. The last day 
of the month the charge was begun by Cleburne's 
and McCown's Divisions, and gave the Federals a 
great surprise. The bright sun broke through the 
clouds just at this time, shedding a ray of splendor 
upon that gray column as it moved f orw^ard, the Fed- 
erals retreating six miles. Withers' and Cheatham's 



1863. MURFREESBORO. 81 

Divisions had an encounter, and it is said, from the 
number of dead and the batteries left behind, that the 
blow to the Federals was heavy. It is related that 
the charge, ' ' like a hurricane scattering leaves in its 
course," literally blackened the ground with the dead 
for miles, as on they swept, through fields and ra- 
vines and over ditches and fences. 

The Confederates had taken nearly five thousand 
prisoners, thirty pieces of artillery, five thousand 
stands of arms, ind a large amount of ammunition. 

Gen. Rosecrans had made a fatal mistake by weak- 
ening his left and center, and the Confederates took 
advantage it. Consequently, unperceived by the 
Confederates, he moved his center forward and took 
a strong position on the hill. This the Confederates 
charged, with immense numbers opposing them, but 
were forced to fall back. They camped the night, 
New Year's, 1863, in the midst of the dead and wound- 
ed. Gen. Bragg presented a glorious victory to 
Richmond authorities, but, unfortunately, the Feder- 
als were allowed to restore order among their disor- 
ganized forces, having a strong position in the bend 
of the river, which Gen. Breckinridge was ordered 
to take. At four o'clock the order to move was 
given, and the fated band moved forward like the 
very embodiment of courage to that awful charge, in 
the face of such a storm of artillery and musketry as 
was never displayed on any battlefield. The Federals 
retreated from the ridge to the river. The Twentieth 
Tennessee Regiment captured two hundred prisoners. 
They next turned their attention to those on the other 
side of the river. They crossed in the midst of such 
a fii'e that in a short space of time two thousand va- 
6 



82 A NARBATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1863. 

cant places were made in the homes of the South. 
The sacrifice seemed useless to both sides, only as an 
example of good courao^e that causes one to honor his 
race the more as he reads the narrative. Gens. Chal- 
mers and Donelson, supported by Gen. Wheeler's 
Brigade and Maney's Brigade of Tennesseeans, faced 
the lire from the hill. Gen. W. H. Jackson, of Nash- 
ville, crossed the river to relieve the broken columns. 
Gen. Wheeler flanked the Federals' rear, with the as- 
sistance of Gen. Wharton, capturing sixteen hundred 
waofons and three thousand mules. Gens. Hanson 
and Palmer formed the first line to attack him in his 
stronghold; Gen. Pillow on the right; Gens. Hunt, 
Preston, and Gibson, the second line in the rear. 
These brave boys charged with fury, and carried the 
ridge with a yell, and the Federals retreated. Capt. 
Wright placed his battery on the very top of the hill, 
sending sheets of flame down into the river. He was 
mortally wounded. Gen. James Rains also fell while 
gallantly leading his men. Gen. Hanson, of Ken- 
tucky, who had a brother in the Federal army, gave 
up his life. His last words were: "I am willing to 
die with such a wound, received in so glorious a 
cause." With these heroic words he joined those 
who had also fallen for the same cause. Col. Marks 
lost his leg, and Capt. L. N. Savage lost his life — 
both noble Tennesseeans. 

On the next day (Jan. 3) Gen. Bragg withdrew his 
army to Tullahoma, while the Federal forces occu- 
pied Murf reesboro. This battle was accounted a Fed- 
eral success, in that the Confederates did not hold 
their position. The loss in killed and wounded was 
greater on the Federal side than on the Confederate. 



1862. CAPTURE OF GALVESTON. 83 

Capture of Galveston. 

As an offset to the partial disaster at Murfreesboro, 
the Confederates began the new year with a victory 
at Galveston, Tex. On the morning of December 
31 Gen. Magruder, with seven regiments of infan- 
try and twenty-two guns, proceeded to retake the 
city, which, as has been noticed in a previous chap- 
ter, had been captured ])y the Federals. Only a few 
of the latter, however, occupied the city; but out in 
the harbor, not three hundred yards from the shore, 
lay five Federal gunboats with their guns ready, and 
frowning threateningly upon the city of Galveston. 
Silently Gen. Magruder's little band moved through 
the streets, and took position on Strand Street near 
the wharves; and before daylight he astonished the 
citizens with a roar of his guns directed against the 
great ships. It soon became evident that the small 
Confederate battery was no match for their heavy 
guns. An attack was made on the Forty-Second 
Massachusetts Kegiment, which was fortified at one 
end of the wharf. 

Assistance now came to the Confederates from the 
water. The Bayou City, the Neptune, the John 
F. Can, and the Lucy Gwinn steamed toward the 
Federal vessels, directing their attention especially 
to the Harriet Lane, which the Neptune struck 
amidships, and, having cleared her decks by fire from 
small arms, the crew of the latter were preparing to 
])oard the Lane when it was discovered that their 
own vessel was damaged to such an extent as to be 
sinking; consequently they steamed off' and sunk her. 
The Bayou City next attacked the Federal vessel, 
and boarded her and forced a surrender. The other 



84 A NARK ATI VE OF THE CIVIL WAli. 1863. 

ships managed to escape out of the harbor, with the 
exception of the Westheld, which was burned. 

Surrender of Arkansas Post. 

On January 11, after two days' attack with both 
water and land forces, the Federals under Gen. Mac- 
Clernand succeeded in forcing the surrender of Ar- 
kansas Post, on the Arkansas river, Avhich was held 
by Gen. Churchill with over three thousand troops. 
This victory was important to the Federals, in that 
it gave them control of the Arkansas river. 

Confederate Rams Attack the Federals in 
Charleston Harbor. 

In Charleston Harbor, on January 30, the Confed- 
erate rams moved out against the Federal fleet, which 
had held a position off the mouth of the harbor for 
over a month. The result of this attack was the dis- 
abling of the Mercedita and the Keystone State, the 
latter losing twenty-one men. 

The Federal gunboat Queen of the West had 
passed the Confederate batteries at Vicksburg, and 
was committing depredations on Red River. She 
had also captured a small Confederate boat, the 
Era. The commander of the Queen of the West 
had forced the pilot of the Era, George W£)od, to take 
the helm of the Queen of the West and direct her 
toward the capture of a Confederate fort on the 
river. Wood drove her ashore just opposite the fort, 
however, and turned her side to the batteries, and in 
the confusion Avhich followed from this movement 
succeeded in making his escape. Part of the crew of 
the Queen of the West, and her commander, jumped 




Destruction of the 1 1 



bam a. 




The Sumter Running the Blockade, and Chased by the Federal Ship Iroquois 



1863. CHARLESTON HARBOR. 87 

upon cotton bales and floated down the river; but the 
remainder, thirteen in number, remained on lioard 
all night, and the next morning the Confederates 
took possession. In like manner another Federal 
vessel, the Indianola, passed the Confederate bat- 
teries, and for some time was a great annoyance. 
Consequently the Queen of the West, the \A^ebb, the 
Era, and the Dr. Batey, under command of Maj. 
AValker, went in quest of the Federal gunboat. On 
February 24 the Confederates moved to the attack, 
and after a terrible contest of over an hour's dura- 
tion it was found that the Indianola was in a sinking 
condition. Her ofiicers surrendered with her crew of 
one hundred and twenty men. 

While the Confederates were gaining these suc- 
cesses on the inland waters, they also had a few 
privateers upon the Atlantic ocean, which were do- 
ing great damage to Federal shipping, and the ex- 
ploits of the Florida and Alabama were such as even 
to call forth praise from the North. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

IMPRESSMENT— BATTERIES AND GUNBOATS. 

Before again taking up the thread of military op- 
erations, 'it is right to notice briefly the law of im- 
pressment, which the Confederate Congress was 
forced to enact on account of a scarcity of provi- 
sions. The great grain-producing districts had all 
felt the iron heel of war; and the State of Kentucky, 
which had heretofore furnished the principal supply 
of meat to the army, was now in the hands of the 
Federal government. Moreover, the paper money 
of the Confederacy, with no assurance back of it save 
a promise to pay six months after the close of the 
war, had been turned loose upon the country to such 
an extent that in the beginning of the year 1863 there 
was 1300,000,000 in circulation. Consequently it had 
so decreased in value that one dollar in silver was 
worth four dollars in paper. With the scarcity of 
food and the depreciated value of the currency, the 
South was cursed with the misfortune of speculation. 
Therefore, Avithout discussing the nature of such mat- 
ters, it w^as plain what the ultimate results and effects 
would be. 

Federals Attack Fort McAllister. 

On March 3 the Federals made an attack with Ave 
vessels upon Fort McAllister, on the Ogeechee river, 
near Savannah, Ga. All day they bombarded the 
fort, but at night they withdrew with one of their 
ironclads badly damaged, while the fort had only one 



1863. FEDERALS IN FRONT OF VICKSBURG. 89 

gun dismounted, and within its walls not a single life 
was lost. 

The Federals in Front of Vicksburg. 

The Federals had three objects in view^ to obtain 
the capture of Vicksburg: First, the canal across the 
isthmus opposite the city; secondly, the project of 
getting through the Yazoo Pass; thirdly, the Lake 
Providence Canal project. All this time it had been 
their object to get in the. rear of Vicksburg. Their 
present plan was to get through the Yazoo Pass, in 
hope of cutting off Confederate supplies. The idea 
was to flank Vicksburg, capture Jackson, cut ofl' 
Grenada, and thereby destroy all possibility of get- 
ting supplies from that immensely rich country. 

On March 18 they began active operations by an 
attack with their gunboats on that part of the Con- 
federate works known as Fort Pemberton, situated 
in the bend of the Tallahatchie river. After four 
hours of heavy fighting in front of Vicksburg, the 
Federals were forced to retire. This defeat produced 
a lull in the operations of the Federals in the imme- 
diate vicinity of Vicksburg. They next turned their 
attention to Port Hudson, "a strongly fortified posi- 
tion on the lower Mississippi, about sixteen miles 
above Baton Rouge, and three hundred below Vicks- 
burg. '' Accordingly, six magnificent ships were fitted 
out, under command of Admiral Farragut, a distin- 
guished naval officer of the United States navy. 
They attempted to pass the batteries, which were lo- 
cated on a high bluff'. Silently these mighty war 
monsters passed on, with each man waiting intently 
at his gun; but they were discovered when just op- 



90 A NAEEATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAE. 1863. 

posite the batteries, and the alarm was given. Im- 
mediately the ships opened the thunders of their ar- 
tillery upon the Confederates, who endured the fire 
in silence until they all got within easy range, when 
they let loose such a storm of shot and shell upon the 
Federals that it soon became plain that it meant de- 
struction for the ships to pass. Therefore all except 
the Hartford turned around and steamed back in 
the midst of a fire that furnished a grand scene as 
shell after shell cut its bright way through the dark- 
ness of the night. All managed to escape injury ex- 
cept the Mississippi, whose rudder was broken and 
so injured that she floated aimlessly to the opposite 
shore, giving the batteries a good opportunity to tear 
her literally to pieces. Most of her crew succeeded 
in escaping, but the wounded were left on board 
the vessel, which floated ofi' down the river, and 
when near Baton Rouge her magazine exploded, 
sending to the bottom of the big Mississippi river 
one of the most magnificent ships of the United 
States navy. 

During these engagements both armies in Virginia 
and Tennessee, the boys in blue and gray, were watch- 
ing each other without any apparent movement on 
either side. But the monotony was somewhat broken 
by a force of Federals three thousand strong crossing 
the Rappahannock river at Kelly's Ford March 17. 
They continued their march until within six miles 
of Culpepper C. H., when they were attacked by 
Gen. Fitzhugh Lee's Brigade. After several hours' 
hard fighting they retreated. The Confederates lost 
in killed and wounded about one hundred men, among 
whom was the youthful and gallant Maj. Pelham, of 



1863. FEDERALS REPULSED FROM CHARLESTON. 91 

Alabama, who, although but twenty-two years of age, 
had been through all the battles in Virginia, and had 
won that enduring fame and honor which only comes 
to men after long experience and services of many 
years. Peace be to the ashes of this 'M)oy major!"' 
and may the roses of immortality ever bloom over 
his grave, inasmuch as he typified in his own person 
and death all of that fresh, glorious young manhood 
of the South that went down in that awful struggle, 
even though they wore not upon their shoulders the 
straps of rank and lie in nameless graves! 

Thf: Federals Repulsed from Charleston. 

To the minds of the Federals Charleston, S. C, was 
"the cradle of the rebellion." Therefore its capture 
was considered one of great importance. The known 
design of the Federals had kept the citizens of Charles- 
ton in a state of suspense. On April 7, when a part 
of the Federal fleet, which consisted of more than 
seventy vessels, moved to attack Fort Sumter, when 
in the midst of the strains of ''Dixie," the iron throats 
of the cannon spoke forth their volleys of death and 
destruction. The fleet advanced in two divisions, led 
respectively by the ironclads Ironsides and Keokuk, 
which delivered a tremendous Are upon the walls of 
both Forts Sumter and Morris, and in return they re- 
ceived a crushing tempest of iron hail from the heavy 
guns of the two forts, so that they were forced to 
withdraw out of range. So effective was the fire un- 
der Gen. Beauregard that it was discovered that the 
Keokuk was sunk near Morris Island. The Confed- 
erates lost only one man killed and five wounded. 



CHAPTER XV. 

CHANCEI.LORSVILLE — VICK8BURG — GETTYSBURG. 

It now became Gen. Hooker's turn to try the for- 
tunes of war with Gen. Robert E. Lee. Accordingly, 
with an army Avhicli he himself said was ''the finest 
on the planet," on April 26, he began the crossing of 
the Rappahannock in three large divisions. One was 
to cross at Kelly's Ford; another at Deep Run, three 
miles below Fredericksburg; and a third at United 
States Ford, ''just below the confluence of the Rap- 
pahannock and Rapidan." By Thursday, April 29, 
Gen. Hooker had accomplished all of these move- 
ments, and had fortified himself in a strong position 
"across the turnpike and plank road at Chancellors- 
ville, eleven miles from Fredericksburg, in order to 
cut off the Confederates' anticipated retreat in the di- 
rection of Gordonsville." Gen. Lee soon discovered 
that the Federals had crossed the river at Kelly's and 
Ellis' Fords. Gen. Wright's Brigade was ordered to 
support the Confederate forces, eight thousand in 
number, under Gen. Anderson, Posey and Mahone 
guarding the approaches to Fredericksburg in that 
direction. During the night of April 29 Gen. Lee 
himself, with Anderson's and McLaw's Divisions, 
took a position in front of the Federals, while he sent 
Gen. Jackson to get in their rear. This skillful move- 
ment was successfully accomplished by May 2, when 
Gen. Jackson hurled his veterans against the Feder- 
als' right and rear. Gen. Sigel's Corps of Germans 




Map of Northern Virginia. 



94 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1863. 

was the unfortunate portion of the Federal army that 
received Gen. Jackson's charge, which threw them in 
confusion upon the guns of Gens. Anderson's and 
McLaw's Divisions, and they retreated toward the 
river. There w^as now a lull in the battle, Gen. Stu- 
art took command. Gens. Jackson and Hill both hav- 
ing been wounded. In accordance with instructions 
from the former, Gen. Stuart continued to batter the 
Federals' right wing. For a while they rested, these 
old veterans, the blue and the gray. Sunday morn- 
ing the battle was renewed by the Confederates mak- 
ing a charge upon the fortifications and rifle pits of 
the Federals. The Confederates now seemed to be 
on the point of a great victory, and Gen. Lee moved 
his forces to the plank road above Chancellorsville. 
But while thus successful in this portion of their lines, 
the Confederates were defeated at Fredericksburg, 
where Bar ksdale's Brigade and Early's Division held a 
position extending from Mayre's Hill to Hamilton's 
Crossing. With two thousand troops, the Washing- 
ton Artillery, of New Orleans, and Read's Battery, 
stationed on a hill. Gen. Barksdale occupied the left. 
Against these small numbers the Federals hurled 
with great force Sedgewick's Corps, twenty thousand 
strong. Three times did they throw the weight of 
their immense numbers upon the brave little band on 
the heights, and each time they were sent back broken 
in ranks, Avith their dead lying thick on the hillside. 
Hearing of this reverse. Gen. Lee turned his atten- 
tion from Hooker, and sent Anderson's and McLaw's 
Divisions to stop Gen. Sedgewick, which they suc- 
ceeded in doing, when night put an end to the con- 
test. 



1863. BATTLE OF RAYMOND, MISS. 95 

The next day the Federals prepared to renew the 
attack by concentrating their forces against the left 
liank of Gen. McLaw's Division. Gen. Lee at once 
took advantage by massing Anderson's and Early's 
Divisions at this point. But it was not the purpose 
of Gen. Lee to let the contest end here, and he began 
the disposition of his troops so as to completely de- 
stroy the army of Gen. Hooker. A violent rainstorm 
set in, which caused a lull in Gen. Lee's operations, 
the Federals retreating across the river during the 
storm. 

To sum up the fruits of the victory, an army of 
fifty thousand had met an army "variously estimated 
at from one hundred thousand to one hundred and 
fifty thousand." The Confederates had taken large 
amounts of supplies, seven thousand prisoners, and 
four thousand stands of arms. The Federals lost 
twenty-five thousand in killed and wounded. To the 
Confederate soldiers the laurels of Chancellorsville 
will ever be draped in the sable hue of mourning for 
their ideal leader — great among the earth's great cap- 
tains—who laid down his command to enlist in that 
immortal army where battles and wars are no more. 
Gen. Stonewall Jackson, at eight o'clock Saturday, 
May 2, while returning to his line, received three 
balls in his arm, which was amputated, finally caus- 
ing his death. With his beloved wife and loved ones 
around him, he passed away, his last words being: 
' ' Let us cross over the river, and rest under the shade 
of the trees." 

Battle of Raymond, Miss. 
After a weary march of two hundred miles from 



96 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1863. 

Port Hudson, Gen. John Gregg, of Texas, pitched 
his tent one mile north of Jackson, Miss. Gen. 
Grierson, of the Federal army, had torn up the rail- 
road, hence the march for those poor boys on foot. 
The Tennessee soldiers, though worn out and weary 
physically, Avere a jubilant set of men, feeling they 
were homeward bound. Gen. Gregg's Brigade was 
composed of the Forty-First Tennessee, Col. Farqua- 
harson; Tenth Tennessee, Col. Randall McGavock; 
Third Tennessee, Col. Walker; Thirtieth Tennessee, 
Col. Turner; Fiftieth Tennessee, Col. Beaumont; 
First Tennessee Battalion, Col. Colm; Seventh Texas, 
Col. Cranberry. 

After resting awhile they renewed their march, 
headed by a band of music playing "The Girl I 
Left behind Me." They passed through Jackson 
amid the cheers and welcome of the people. Reach- 
ing Raymond, Miss., May 12, Gen. Gregg formed 
his men in line of battle, expecting an attack. Sud- 
denly the sound of the rifle was lost amid the roar of ar- 
tillery, a Confederate battery thundering away in de- 
fiance with three pieces at a six-gun battery of the 
Federals. At this time the force of the Federals was 
discovered: Gen. Gregg's Brigade was confronted by 
Gen. McPherson's Corps. From right to left for a 
mile the battle opened. Col. Randall McGavock, 
supported by Col. Walker, advanced with his regi- 
ment, leading in person, to charge a battery. While 
in the act of capturing a gun, the gallant colonel fell, 
mortally wounded. His tall, commanding form, clad 
in his gray military cloak, thrown back over his 
shoulders, displaying the scarlet lining, made him a 
very conspicuous figure at the head of his regiment. 



1863. LOSS OF VICKSBURG. 97 

The Tenth Tennessee seemed to be desperate after 
the loss of their beloved commander. All around the 
battery the scene is described as bloody in the ex- 
treme. Capt. George Diggon and Capt. O'Bryan 
Avere wounded. In ten minutes one hundred and 
ninety out of five hundred of the Tenth Tennessee 
were killed. The loss of the Federals was fearful in 
this hand to hand struggle. It was a real tight be- 
tween brave men, the blue and the gray. Two thou- 
sand of Gen. Gregg's men of the ''Lone Star State" 
kept at bay the advance of Gen. Grant's army. Gen. 
Gregg retreated to Mississippi Springs. As they 
passed through Raymond every kindness was given 
them. The women with their own hands brought 
quilts and bandages for the wounded. 

Loss or ViCKSBURG. 

It now becomes necessary to turn our narrative to 
the progress of events on the Mississippi river. Be- 
ginning on May 1, the Federals had successively de- 
feated the Confederates at Port Gibson, Bayou Pierre, 
captured Jackson, the capital of the State of Missis- 
sippi, and driven the Confederates back at Baker's 
Creek and Big Black Bridge, and by the 18th had 
succeeded in investing Vicksburg. On May 21 Gen. 
Grant made a general attack upon the Confederate 
fortifications, but was repulsed Avith great loss. He 
then settled doAvn for a long siege, Avhich Avas con- 
tinued imtil July 4, when the AA^hole country Avas dis- 
tressed that Vicksburg had surrendered, throwing 
into the hands of the Federals tAA'enty thousand pris- 
oners. The causes leading to giving up this, the key 
to the Avhole loAver Mississippi region, have been nuich 



1863. INVASION OF PENNSYLVANIA. 99 

discussed in the long' years of the past; but it will ])e 
sufficient here to say that the garrison were worn out 
and exhausted, and Gen. Robertson, learning that 
the Federals were contemplating a general assault, 
rather than expose his weakened men, who had never 
failed to do their duty, to the horrors of a slaughter 
that must necessarily follow^ the siege of the city, 
turned the city over to Gen. Grant. 

Invasion of Pennsylvania. 

In our narrative we find that we are again in Vir- 
ginia. Gen. Ewell had followed up the success at Chan- 
cel lorsville by falling upon Gen. Milroy at Winches- 
ter and Martinsburg, Va. From this position Gen. 
Ewell moved rapidly up the Potomac river, followed 
by Gens. Longstreet and Hill. These movements 
threw the North in great commotion, fearing the 
Confederates might make an attack on Washington. 
Gen. Lee contented himself with the invasion of 
Pennsylvania. Not a stone would he have injm-ed in 
the dear old edifice, the Capitol at Washington. In 
keeping with the magnanimity of his great heart, he 
protected the lives and property of the citizens of 
Pennsylvania, where he might have retaliated for 
burned homes, done by millitary orders. 

Battle of Gettysbukg. 

We now^ bring before our readers the memoraljle 
l)attle of (jettysburg, which began July 1, Gen. 
Meade commanding the Federals. His advance con- 
sisted of the Eleventh Corps. Heth's Division, with 
Archer's Tennesseeans in advance, met them within 
one mile of the town of Gettysburg, and forced them 

* _r /^ 
t.. 2t V. 



100 A NAlUiATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAE. 1863. 

back in terrible confusion. Gen. Archer wa.s taken 
prisoner, with several hundred of his brigade. Gen. 
Ewell swept through Getty sl^urg, taking five thou- 
sand prisoners. 

Gen. Meade massed his entire army on Cemetery 
Ridge. This ridge is opposite the town, extending 
in a Avesterly and southerly direction, getting less un- 
til it comes to a height called Round Top Hill, running 
east and west. The Confederates occupied an ex- 
terior ridge not quite so high; distance from the Fed- 
eral lines, one mile and a half. Here was arranged 
the Confederate line of battle, EwelFs Corps on the 
left, beginning with Rodes's Division; on the right 
was the left of HilFs Corps. The right of Ander- 
son's Division was Longstreet's left. McLaw and 
Hood were on the extreme right of the Confederate 
line, which was opposite the Federal left. 

Gen. Lee here states why he compelled to give bat- 
tle: ''I had not intended to fight a general battle at 
such distance from our base unless attacked by the 
other side; but, tinding myself unexpectedly con- 
fronted, it l)ecame a matter of difficulty to withdraw 
through the mountains with our large trains. At the 
same time the country was unfavorable for collecting 
supplies while in the very presence of the Federals' 
main body, as they were enabled to restrain our fora- 
ging parties by holding the mountain passes Avith 
troops. A l)attle then became unavoidable. In view 
of the defeat of Gen. Meade, it was thought best to 
renew the attack." 

On July 2 Gen. Robert E. Lee scanned the height 
which looked upon him through frowning brows of 
brass and iron. He then determined to attack. 



1863. 



BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG. lOl 



Gen. Longstreet formed against the Federals' left; 
Gen. EAvell dashed forward against the Federals' 
right, his guns keeping a continuous tire sweeping 
the slopes of Cemetery Hill. Gen. Anderson was 
ordered to support Gen. Longstreet; Heth, Pender, 
Pettigrew, and Archer to act as reserves. The brave 
general placed himself at the head of Hood's and 
McLaw's Divisions. Gen. Sickles' Corps, with a 
terrilic loss, had to retreat. These two divisions of 
of the ])oys who wore the gray, whose echo rever- 
])erated through the hills, charged the steep ascent. 
The lire was fearful and incessant. Three hundred 
pieces of artillery belched forth death and destruc- 
tion on every side. For two hours the Imttle raged 
for the contested point, Round Top Hill. Gen. 
Meade receiving immense reenf orcements. Gen. Long- 
street failed to drive the boys in blue from Round 
Top Hill. On the left. Gen. Ewell assaulted Ceme- 
tery Hill; Johnson's Division fought their w^ay across 
Rocky Creek, receiving heavy loss from the fire from 
higher ground. Pickett's Division now reached the 
field of Gettysburg. Virginia soldiers! they have 
borne the brunt of battle, and have exhibited courage 
sul)lime. 

Gen. Lee now determined to place his artillery in 
front of Gen. Hill's Corps. To this end, more than 
one hundred pieces were placed in position. On the 
other side of the valley Gen. Meade concentrated, 
preparing for the deadly conflict which was pending. 

At noon, July 3, the sound of two guns fii*ed by the 
famous Washington Artillery, of New Orleans, pene- 
trated the air; in an instant two hundred cannon 
belched forth their contents. A Confederate oflicer 



102 A NAERATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1863. 

describes tlie scene as follows: ''The air was hideous 
with discordant sounds. The earth sliook beneath 
our feet, and the hills and rocks seem to reel like a 
drunken man. For one hour and a half this teriiiic 
lire continued, durino* which time the shriekins: of 
shells, the crash of falling timbers, the frao^ments of 
rocks iiyinof throuofh the air shattered from the clitis 
by the solid shot, the heavy mutterings from the valley 
between the two armies, the blue and the gray, the 
bursting of shells, and the tierce neighing of artillery 
horses made a picture terribly grand and su))iime.'' 
' Onward they moved: Pickett's Division on the 
right and lleth on the left of the assaulting colunm, 
Archer's Tennesseeans and Armstead's Virginians 
forming the center, Wilcox on the right of the Vir- 
ginians. As the advance reached Emmetsl)urg Road, 
there stood those heroic soldiers exposed to the unin- 
terrupted fire of the Federal batteries, which was so 
rapid and continuous that it seemed like one solid, 
un1)roken sheet of fiame that Avas scorching to the 
earth line after line, like the grass on the Western 
prairies; but they faltered not. Archer's Brigade of 
Tennesseeans was first with these Virginians to plant 
the battle fiag on the Federal fortifications. Col. 
Frye, in command of Archer's Brigade, was borne 
away wounded. Col. Sheppard succeeding him. Night 
now closed in on this third day field of slaughter. 

Out of twenty-four regimental officers of Pickett's 
Division, only two escaped unhurt; out of about the 
same num])er in Heth's Division, only one escaped. 
Gen. Meade states his loss at 2o,000 killed, wounded, 
and missing; Confederates, 8,000. 

For the final charge on the third day Heth's and 



1863. ' BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG. l03 

Pickett's Divisions were selected. Gen. Heth having 
]>een wounded on the first day, Pickett was placed in 
command of the assaulting- column, which gave rise 
to this being called "Pickett's charge." 

On July 4 these armies still confronted each other, 
each side being unwilling to renew the attack. Gen. 
Meade being too badly crippled to renew it. Gen. 
Lee crossed his army over the Potomac, and estab- 
lished it on the Rapidan. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

SIEGE OF CHARLESTON — MORGAN'S RAID. 

Not satisfied with the repulse or their lieet from 
Charleston April 7, the Federals, luider Gen. Gil- 
more, now determined upon vigorous operations ))y 
placing the city in a state of siege. Innnediately aft- 
er their reverse the Federals in large force occupied 
Folly Island. Not anticipating the movements of the 
Federals which were to follow, so many troops had 
been drawn from Gen. Beauregard, against his pro- 
test, to strengthen other positions, that he Avas left 
with a force inadequate for the defense and mainte- 
nance of all his l>atteries in the harbor. 

Having finished on August 10 the erection of their 
fort, the Federals opened Avith their batteries upon 
Fort Morris, and sent a detachment on foot to attack 
Fort Wagner. This latter expedition came to grief, 
for when the fire of the heavy guns was turned upon 
them they retreated in great confusion, with a con- 
siderable loss of life. This reverse did not thwart 
the plans of the Federals, for, gaining a foothold on 
Morris Island, they constructed a battery at a distance 
of one and a half miles from Fort Wagner. From this 
position and the one on Black Island, together with 
their fieet of monitors and gunboats, at the dawn of 
day, Augusi: 18, they turned the thunders of their guns 
upon the Confederate fort. All day the bombard- 
ment was kept up, old Fort Sumter and Battery Gregg, 
at Cununings Point, contributing their share of the 



1863. SIEGE OF CHARLESTON. 105 

awful dill of the oannonading. But when the shadows 
of evening began to fall the Federals moved an infan- 
try column, preceded by a negro regiment, to attack 
the fort. With a destructive lire thinning their ranks, 
they pushed their way with signal gallantry to the 
walls of old Fort Sumter, and began to clamber over 
the breastworks. Here a desperate and bloody hand 
to hand encounter took place. As fast as the Con- 
federates would beat back the Federals another fresh 
line would take their place. But tinally, after lining 
the parapet w^alls with their dead, these boys in blue 
were compelled to give way and make a full retreat 
across the beach in utter darkness of the night. How- 
ever the Federals were not yet prepared to give up 
the fort without another struggle. Consequently in 
less than half an hour the defenders of the fort found 
themselves again battling with a fresh column of the 
Federals, but they were repulsed even more disas- 
trously than those who participated in the first attack, 
for they left behind them between two and three hun- 
dred prisoners. In l)oth of these attacks the Federals 
gave their mortality at lifteen hundred and fifty, 
while the Confederates only sufiered to the extent of 
a little over one hundred in killed and wounded. 

On August 21 Gen. Gilmore informed Gen. Beau- 
regard that unless Fort Sumter and Morris Island 
were evacuated within four hours he would turn his 
guns upon the cit}^ of Charleston. Without giving 
time for the necessary reply Gen. Gilmore sent his 
missiles of death into the midst of the defenseless 
city. For three days (August 21, 22, and 23) the Fed- 
erals kept up a continuous fire upon the walls of Fort 
Sumter, doing great damage. On the 5th of Sep- 



106 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1863. 

tember they turned their attention to Fort Moultrie 
and Battery Gregg. Upon the latter they made an 
especially vigorous attack by trying to get in the rear 
of the fortifications, Ijut were repulsed by the effec- 
tive tire from the fort, and were forced to give up 
their attempt. Both Morris Island and Battery 
Gregg had suffered so much from this continuous 
])ombardment of over fifty days that, perceiving they 
were no longer tenable, on the night of Septeml)er 6 
Gen. Beauregard accomplished a successful evacua- 
tion, leaving these two positions, which had ])een so 
long coveted, in the hands of the Federals. 

Two days later Admiral Dahlgreen, the commander 
of the Federal fleet, sent a demand to Gen. Beaure- 
gard for the immediate surrender of Fort Sumter, 
to which the reply was given that they could have it 
when they took it. With this, at one o'clock on the 
morning of September 9 the Federals began to assail 
the walls of the old fort that had so long stood be- 
tween them and their much longed for prize. The 
Charleston Battalion, under Maj. Elliott, were watch- 
ing and Avaiting, and they reserved their fire until the 
Federals closed upon them, when they opened fire 
with such volleys that this ruin (as the Federal com- 
mander reported to the government at Washington) 
seemed fairly vocal with the thunder of weapons, 
that meant death to those who wore the blue. How- 
ever, they managed to land, and for half an hour 
engaged the Confederates in a hand to hand contest, 
when they were forced to surrender. The Federal 
reserve line, which had been left in the boat, pulled 
off' and escaped, though followed by the shells that 
Fort Moultrie sent whistling after them. With not 



1863. GEN. morgan's RAID. lO? 

the loss of a single life, the Confederates fonncl in 
their possession, as the fruits of the conflict, one hun- 
dred and twenty men, including twelve officers, with 
live stands of colors. 

Gen. Morgan's Raid. 

Leaving for a time the city of Charleston to the 
fruitless attacks of the Federals, on the other side of 
the mountains Gen. John Morgan was preparing to 
set out from Sparta, Tenn., with only two thousand 
troops, for that romantic raid of his into Ohio and 
Indiana. He began his exploits by attacking at Green 
River Bridge on July 4, but the fortifications were 
too strong. So he had to content himself with the 
capture of Lebanon on the next day, in which he 
claimed six hundred prisoners, besides many stores 
and arms. In this gallant charge his brother, Lieut. 
Thomas Morgan, fell mortally wounded with these 
words on his lips: "Brother Cally, they have killed 
me." 

Thence Gen. Morgan passed through Central Ken- 
tucky to Bardstown, taking a company of cavalry 
dressed in blue. There is a peculiar and striking- 
feature connected with the Confederate advance 
through this portion of Kentucky, in that they were 
in the midst of their own homes and loved ones, and 
were forced to carry war upon dear friends and neigh- 
bors, even father, brother, and other kinsmen who 
had espoused the Federal cause from conscientious 
motives. These divisions of family in Kentucky even 
marred the relation of husband and wife, for the nar- 
rator of these events knew personally of a case where 
the husband was a gallant soldier of the Confederacy 



108 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1863. 

in Gen. Frank Cheatham's Division, and his wife was 
an efficient and valued spy in Gen. Rousseau's com- 
mand. From pure motives this woman did this work. 
Under such circumstances many a Kentucky mother 
has mourned a soldier ])oy whose heart's best hlood 
stained a g'ray jacket at Shiloh, and another perhaps 
lay upon the same dread field with his ])ody wrapped 
in blue for his winding* sheet. 

But Gen. Morgan continued his march, threat- 
ening Louisville, and crossing the Ohio river at 
J^randenburg. July 8 he captured the Indiana town 
of Corydon, Avith six hundred prisoners. Thence, 
destroying railroads, telegraph communications, and 
all manner of government stores, he advanced into 
the interior of the State, creating the greatest amount 
of consternation among the astonished Federals, and 
to the Confederates the greatest surprise. 

Learning that the Federals were concentrating large 
numbers of troops at Indianapolis, New Albany, and 
Mitchell, Gen. Morgan, having accomplished his pur- 
pose by drawing troops from important places, left 
Indiana and entered the borders of Ohio, throwing 
Cincinnati into intense excitement. He proceeded 
to harass the Federals as he had done in the former 
State, until at Pomeroy he encountered a large force 
of Federals, several thousand strong. Leaving part 
of his forces to hold these in check, he attempted to 
cross the river at Buffington Island on July 18. Pre- 
vented from accomplishing this undertaking by Fed- 
eral gunboats, he tried farther up the river at Bell- 
ville, l)ut only succeeded in getting about tw^o 
hundred of his command across the river. The latter 
managed to make their escape back to the Confederate 



1863. GEN. morgan's RAID. 109 

lines; the remainder, who had been left on the other 
side of the river, fell into the hands of the Federals, 
among whom was the gallant Gen. John H. Morgan 
himself, who was captured after an exciting' chase 
near West Point, and confined in the Ohio peniten- 
tiary until November 20, when, with six of his 
officers, he effected his escape by digging out with 
knives. 

Though the end of this expedition is to be accounted 
a failure, yet, relatively, the two thousand prisoners 
w^hich fell to the Federals wxre more than compen- 
sated for by the loss which this intrepid cavalryman 
inflicted upon them; for he had overrun two large, 
rich States, throwing them into a state of complete 
demoralization, stopping all trade, business, farming, 
destroying railroads, bridges, public property, steam- 
boats, and telegraph systems, all of which in the 
aggregate amounted to many millions of dollars. 
Consequently the capture of Gen. Morgan and his 
men by the Federals is deprived of most of its glory 
in that it came too late, for the purposes of the inva- 
sion were virtually accomplished. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

CHICKAMAUGA — MARTIAL LAW IN KENTUCKY. 

The preceding- chapters in regard to military events 
in the West seem to f m-nish a striking contrast to the 
brilliant successes in Virginia. After the Ijattle of 
Murfreesboro Gen. Bragg had fallen back to Talla- 
homa. Thence he proceeded to Wartrace and Shel- 
by ville, with his army greatly weakened by the forces 
which had been drawn from it to strengthen the 
Southwest. By a flank movement, June 27, the 
Federals forced the Confederates to fall ])ack to 
Chattanooga, Gen. Rosecrans slowly following with 
his grand army of boys dressed in blue, seventy 
thousand in number, arriving at Stevenson and 
Bridgeport August 20. 

At the same time another movement by Gen. Burn- 
side, with an army of twenty-five thousand, moved 
from Kentucky against Knoxville, Tenn., which was 
held by Gen. Buckner with five thousand troops. 
Feeling his inability to cope with such overwhelming 
numljers, the latter evacuated the city and moved to 
join Gen. Bragg at Chattanooga, leaving, however, 
at Cuml)erland Gap Gen. Frazier with two thousand 
troops. Against this position the Federals now 
turned their attention, and on the 9th of September 
Gen. Frazier, Avithout firing a single gun, surrendered 
the garrison. 

This movement was a painful surprise to the whole 
country, Federals and Confederates alike. It was 



1863. BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA. Ill 

believed that the position could have been held against 
the force which was being brought against it. 
Like many other times, mistakes were made which 
were unavoidable. 

Battle of Chickamauga. 

AYhile Gen. Burnside was pressing Gen. Buckner 
in front, Gen. Rosecrans had sent a corps up the 
Sequatchie valley to give him a blow in the rear. 
Gen. Buckner's command Avas not yet large enough 
to meet the Federals, so he retreated to Hiwassee. 
The purpose of the Federals seemed to be to threaten 
the Confederate rear; but the latter, though having 
at the very highest estimate but thirty-live thousand 
men, determined to offer l)attle at the lirst oppor- 
tunity. Therefore on September 7 Gen. D. H. Hill 
moved wdth his corps to La Fayette, and Gen. Buck- 
ner, w^ith the Army of East Tennessee, and Gen. 
Walker, with a division of the Army of Mississippi, 
took a position at Anderson, while Gen. Polk concen- 
trated his forces at Lee & Gordon's Mills. Mean- 
time the Federals' left, under Gen. Crittenden, swung 
around in the direction of Chattanooga, w^ith Gen. 
Thomas' Corps moving toward La Fayette, and by 
the 9th they had crossed Lookout Mountain into 
McLemore's Cove. Appreciating at once the error 
of the Federals in allowing Thomas' Corps to become 
thus separated from the main army. Gen. Bragg 
ordered Gen. Hindman to attack the Federals, and 
Gen. Hill to cooperate; but the latter, believing it to 
be impossible to get his command through the gaps 
in the mountains on account of ol^structions, failed 
to unite his forces with those of Gen. Hindman oii 



112 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1863. 

the 10th. Ill great haste Gen. Buckiier was ordered 
to till the command which had been given to Gen. 
Hill, and by evening he succeeded in joining Gen. 
Hindman at Davis' Cross Roads; but it w^as too late. 
The Federals, perceiving their almost fatal mistake, 
by a series of rapid marches managed to restore their 
scattered divisions; and by Saturday, September 19, 
they held a position in the Chickamauga valley, with 
a creek of the same name separating them from the 
Confederates, who had been reenforced by two l)ri- 
gades from Mississippi, and five brigades from Gen. 
Longstreet's Corps from Virginia. The Federals 
opened the battle by hurling a large force upon Gen. 
AYalker's Corps, w^hich held a position on Gen. Buck- 
ner's extreme right. The Confederates repulsed the 
Federals and drove them some distance, but were 
themselves being forced back when they were reen- 
forced by Gen. Frank Cheatham's Division, lieing 
held in reserve. The battle became general along the 
whole line. Gens. Stewart, Cleburne, and Hood in 
some cases had penetrated far into the Federal lines. 
With this auspicious 1)eginning the Confederates gath- 
ered their energies together for a grand victory on 
the next day. The following was the disposition of 
the troops: The right wing, under Gen. Polk, con- 
sisted of Gen. Hill's Corps, composed of Cleburne's, 
Breckinridge's, Cheatham's, and Walker's Divisions; 
the left wing, under Gen. Longstreet, consisted of 
Gens. B. R. Johnson, Preston of Buckner's Corps, 
Hindman's Division, Benning's, Lane's, Robertson's, 
Kershaw's, and Humphries' Brigades. Breckinridge 
and Cleburne moved forward against the rude fortifi- 
cation which the Federals had erected during the 



1863. BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA. 113 

night. Magnilicently did these boys in gray make 
the attack, expecting to meet in grand array the boys 
in blue under command of the distinguished Maj. 
Gen. Thomas, who held the left, when reenforce- 
ments arrived in time for his relief. All along the 
line the battle waged with terrible fury, the Federals 
gradually giving way. Late in the afternoon the Con- 
federates, in one solid column, swept forward with a 
cheer which seemed to make the mountains shake, 
inspired by the memories of» their forced retreat from 
Murfrees])oro l)efore thi.*^ same army of gallant sol- 
diers who wore the blue. Ijike a storm cloud ready 
to let loose its torrents, they rushed forward. Men 
of Mississippi, I^ouisiana, South Carolina, Alabama, 
and Tennessee stood side by side in an unbroken, 
unfaltering line, and like a swollen torrent of the 
mountains upon which they fought with desperation 
forced the Federals to retreat toward Missionary 
Ridge. That bright September moon looked down 
upon the shattered wreck of Rosecrans' army. It is 
said that Gen. Forest had climbed a tree, and from 
his lofty perch watched the retreating army of Gen. 
Rosecrans. He shouted to a staff officer : "Tell Gen. 
Bragg to advance the whole army." The Federals 
left in the hands of the Confederates eight thousand 
prisoners, fifty-one pieces of artillery, lifteen thou- 
sand stands of small arms, and quantities of ammuni- 
tion, with wagons, am])ulances, teams, medicines, 
hospital stores, etc., in large quantities. 

Among the dead on the Confederate side were 
Gens. Helm, Preston Smith, and James Deshler, and 
Gen. Hood was so severely wounded as to make am- 
putation of his thigh necessary. At this great battle 



114 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1863. 

Gen. Gregg was wounded, also captured, but was 
soon, after a desperate struggle, retaken by the Tenth 
Tennessee Regiment. Lieut. Col. Tom Beaumont, 
Maj. Chris Robertson, and Capt. Williams, of the 
Fiftieth Tennessee, were killed. Col. C. A. Sugg 
took command of the brigade through the battle, re- 
ceiving several shots through his clothes. Out of one 
hundred and eighty-six soldiers of the Fiftieth Regi- 
ment who went into this light, only hfty-f our es- 
caped. At the battle of Missionary Ridge Col. Sugg 
was ordered to charge the Federal line. This famous 
old regiment mounted the temporary breastworks 
and caused the Federals to retreat to the foot of the 
ridge. In this charge Col. Sugg fell mortally wound- 
ed. Capt. Sam Mays was badly wounded. Adjt. 
Beaumont also fell mortally wounded. September 
23 Gen. Bragg moved his army from Chickamauga 
to Missionary Ridge, leaving the Federals in posses- 
sion of Chattanooga, where they reorganized their 
army and fortified themselves. 

Martial Law in Kentucky. 

The State of Kentucky at all times seemed to have 
more than her share of the evils and misfortunes in- 
cident to the w\ar, her people being equally divided 
between Southern and Northern sympathies. Such 
influences were brought to bear upon Gov. McGoftin 
that on August 18, 1862, he resigned his position. 
When the election time came round Gen. Burnside 
took the matter into his own hands, and declared the 
state under •' martial law." 

Orders were issued to oppress these people in many 
ways by the Federal government. Therefore, with 



186c 



MARTIAL LAW IN KENTUCKY. 115 



such pressure as this brought to bear upon the citi- 
zens of Kentucky, the candidate who Avas elected (Mr. 
Bramlette) was virtually an appointee of the Federal 
government, forced into office by the strong arm of 
the military. Only those who have experienced that 
unhappy life can tell of its horrors. With such a 
fate as this which befell the noble State of the "dark 
and bloody ground'^ staring them in the face, one 
ceases to wonder at that almost superhuman endur- 
ance of the boys who wore the gray. At this time 
the old veteran w^ho wore the blue ofttimes is heard to 
express wonder at the efforts made by those soldiers, 
Avho stood up against the vast and inexhaustible num- 
bers which the Federals were sending here in one 
constant stream from every direction. The soldiers 
and people of the South only ended their efforts 
when completely worn out, like the best-tempered 
vsteel, which from long usage and the continued action 
of the elements, finally loses its strength and breaks. 
But not only did the Confederacy have to contend 
with the North itself, but also indirectly with the 
powers of Europe; for they, especially England, 
made invidious distinctions between the two govern- 
ments. In fact, while allowing the Federals to re- 
cruit their armies from her dominions and to get 
ammunition and supplies, the British government 
seized upon tw^o ships which w^ere in course of con- 
struction at Birkenhead for the Confederacy. Thus 
it can be seen how much the more is that struggle 
remarka]:)le which the South, unaided and all alone, 
maintained against one of the strongest powers of 
modern times that marshalled its forces at her very 
doors. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

RAPPAHANNOCK — MISSIONARY RIDGE. 

At the beginning of this chapter, l)efore taking up 
the thread of active operations on the land, a brief 
account of the navy of the Confederate States, which 
has heretofore been playing such an important part, 
would not be out of place in this narrative of im- 
portant events. At the beginning of the great strug- 
gle the South was not only virtually without a tieet, 
but also the means of constructing one. But at once 
recognizing the importance of ships for coast and 
river defenses, she had directed her energies in this 
direction, and now had succeeded in floating about 
seventy-two vessels, twenty-nine in process of con- 
struction. This includes ships of every description 
with the navy since the beginning of the war. The 
Confederacy had succeeded in capturing over one 
hundred and fifty Federal ships, which, with their 
cargoes, aggregated a total damage of many millions 
of dollars. 

Skirmishes on the Rappahannock. 
Retreating from Pennsylvania, Gen. Lee had taken 
a position on the Rapidan, from which place he moved 
on October 1) for the purpose of meeting the Feder- 
als who were in the vicinity of Culpepper C. H., and 
on the loth his right, under Gen. Stuart, met the ad- 
vance line of the Federals at James City, and caused 
them to retreat in the direction of their main body at 
Culpepper C. H. On reaching the latter place, on the 



1863. SKIRMISHES ON THE RAPPAHANOCK. 117 

11th, Gen. Lee found that the Federals had withdrawn 
toward the Rappahannock. However Gen. Stuart 
did not relax his pursuit, and continued to harass 
their rear. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee, who had been left to 
guard the Rapidan, met a detachment of Federals 
who had crossed the river, and drove them as far as 
Brandy Station, where, on the evening of the 11th, 
he was joined by Gen. Stuart. 

With the united commands of the Confederates the 
Federals were forced with their cavalry to the other 
side of the Rappahannock. Continuing his march 
with the main army. Gen. Lee reached the Rappa- 
hannock at Warren ton Springs on the afternoon of 
the 12th. Here the Federals made a spasmodic re- 
sistance, but were soon forced to retreat by attacks 
of Confederate cavalry. This pursuit was kept up 
for three or four da^^s, and was marked by frequent 
and severe skirmishes, especially at Bristoe's Station, 
where Gen. Hill, with two brigades, was repulsed by 
a superior force of Federals hid behind a railroad 
embankment. Besides a consideral)le loss in killed 
and wounded, Gen. Hill left in the hands of the Fed- 
erals a number of prisoners. Finding that he had 
failed in his purpose to flank Gen. Meade, and that 
the latter was so near the intrenchments at Washing- 
ton that it would be utterly impossible to get between 
him and them, Gen. Lee on the 18th again withdrew 
his army to the Rappahannock. 

When the army first set about the movements just 
related Gen. Imboden had been sent down the Valley 
to protect Gen. Lee's left against any probable attacks 
of the Federals .from that direction. With bril- 
liancy and dispatch he carried out these plans, and 



118 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1863. 

while the main l)0(ly of the army was on the retreat 
on the 18th he surrounded the town of Charleston, 
where a force of the Federals were fortified in the 
courthouse and jail. 

To (len. 'Inihoden's summons to surrender, (^ol. 
Simpson, the Federal commander, replied: ".Take me 
if you can.'' A few shells from the CV)nfederate hat- 
tery, however, forced the Federals from their posi- 
tion. The latter Hed in the direction of Harper's 
Ferry, but were checked l)y the Eio^hteenth Cavalry 
and a detachment of infantry. After a short conflict 
the Federals surrendered themselves to the numl^er 
of over four hundred. Reenforcements from Harper's 
Ferry now came to their support, ])ut too late to be 
of service. Gen. lm])oden retired before largely su- 
perior numbers, but kept possession of his spoils and 
prisoners. 

Gen. Lee's army now held a position "on both 
sides of the Orange and Alexandria railroad. Gen. 
EwelFs Corps on the right, and Gen. HilFs on the 
left, with cavalry on each flank." Above the railroad 
bridge the Confederate general had fortified two hills 
on each side of the Rappahannock in order to prevent 
any flank movement on the part of the Federals. 

In the meantime the Federals continued to rebuild 
the railroad which the Confederates had destroyed, 
and by the 6th it was discovered that they were ap- 
proaching the river, with the intention of fighting 
their way across. They fell upon Gen. Rodes with 
the Second and Thirtieth North Carolina Regiments, 
stationed at Kelley's Ford, and drove the latter regi- 
ment to some building near the river, wdiere they cap- 
tured them. 



1863. SKIRMISHES ON THE RAPPAHANNOCK. 119 

The Federals were also directing their attention to 
the Confederate rifle pits at the bridge on the north 
bank, which were occupied by Col. Godwin, with one 
brigade, and Gen. Hayes, also with one brigade. 
Anticipating an attack, the artillery was moved to the 
front, and Gen. A. P. Hill's Corps, with Anderson's 
and Early's Divisions, were kept ''watching and wait- 
ing." The Federals, however, had planned a surprise, 
and under the cover of darkness they hurled their 
overwhelming numbers against the troops stationed 
on the north bank of the river. In a triple line they 
made their attack. Their lirst column melted away 
])efore the destructive tire of the Confederates, but 
had every l)ullet that sped from that little band de- 
fending the pits found a lodgment in a human breast, 
they could not even then have maintained themselves 
against such a force of numbers, that by their very 
weight pushed them from their position and sur- 
rounded them on all sides. They fought with a cour- 
age that comes of desperation. Many were captured, 
and a few cut their way through the almost solid 
lines which surrounded them, swam the river, and 
made their escape. This reverse caused them to with- 
draw their forces to the south side of the Rapidan, 
where, on the 27th day of November, that portion of 
Gen. Lee's army drawn up at Germania Ford was at- 
tacked by a large force of the Federals, who again 
attempted a surprise; but they did not meet with that 
success which had crowned their efforts in the former 
attack on the Rappahannock, for they were forced to 
retreat with great loss, perhaps double that of the 
Confederates, which was four hundred and fifty in 
killed and wounded. This repulse seemed to put an 



120 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL%AR. 1863. 

end to Gen. Meade's designs of engaging Gen. Lee in 
a decisive battle. 

Missionary Ridge. 

The defeat at Chickamauga cost Gen. Rosecrans his 
command, for on October 18 he was superseded by 
Gen. U. S. Grant, one of the most gallant and be- 
loved generals in the Federal army. He proceeded 
to Chattanooga, where the Federal forces were prac- 
tically invested by Gen. Bragg. Moreover, the Con- 
federate cavalry were keeping the Federals in a con- 
tinued state of worry by their continuous and con- 
stant raids — especially that of the gallant Gen. Wheel- 
er, in which he captured a large num])er of prisoners, 
destroyed many bridges, and took a large amount of 
stores of all kinds. It is our Gen. Joe Wheeler, the 
same who fought for the "Southern rights," that is 
now at this time serving our united country. 

On reaching Chattanooga Gen. Grant put new life 
into the dispirited boys who wore the blue. On Oc- 
tober 28 he dispatched Gen. Hooker into the Lookout 
valley with the Eleventh Corps and one division of 
the Twelfth Corps. He also succeeded in getting 
possession of the range of hills at the entrance to this 
valley. The Confederates, however, did not permit 
these movements to proceed in peace, for on the night 
of the 29th six regiments fell upon the Federals, but, 
after a gallant light, they were forced to retreat, as 
the entire Twelfth Corps, under Gen. Slocum, were 
engaged against them. 

In the early part of November Gen. Bragg sent 
Gen. Longstreet with his forces to attack Gen. Burn- 
side at Knoxville. Upon hearing of this movement 



1863. MISSIONARY RIDGE. 121 

Gen. Grant determined to attack the Confederates in 
their much weakened condition. Gen. Brao^or had 
taken a position on the top of Missionary Ridge, 
which was between four and six hundred feet in 
height, and had posted his troops "along the crest of 
the ridge from McFar land's Gap ahnost to the mouth 
of the Chickamauga, a distance of six miles or more." 
Reenforced by Gen. Sherman, the Federals consumed 
the 23d and 24:th in getting their forces in position 
for a general attack, and on the 25th, with a magnifi- 
cent army of eighty-live thousand. Gen. Grant moved 
against the Confederates, who numbered one-half of 
that strength. At ten o'clock the Federals hurled 
their heavy columns, supported by large reserves, 
against the left, under Gen. Hardee, which consist- 
ed of Gens. Cleburne's, Walker's (commanded by 
Gen. Gist), Cheatham's, and Stevenson's Divisions. 
As became the veterans of Shiloh and Chickamauga, 
did these tried divisions maintain themselves against 
two successive assaults of the Federals, firmly hold- 
ing their positions. But the left, under Gen. Breck- 
inridge, did not fare so well when the Federals fell 
upon them at twelve o'clock. Somehow a brigade 
in the center gave way, by that means giving the 
Federals a foothold upon the crest of the ridge and to 
turn their fire upon the flanks. Soon the whole left 
l)roke and retreated, and the day was lost and the vic- 
tory at Chickamauga rendered fruitless, save to give 
an exhibition of the courage of both armies. Though 
Gen. Hardee had been victorious in his encounter 
with the Federals, the complete disaster on the left 
made his success vain and fruitless. So the night of 
the 25th found Gen. Bragg in retreat in the direction 



122 A NARIIATIYE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1863. 

of Dalton, Ga., with Gen. Cleburne's Division guard- 
ing the rear. 

The latter's remarkably skillful, brave, and success- 
ful performance of this duty cast a brilliancy over an 
otherwise gloomy and disastrous movement. To 
make their victory more complete, the Federals sent 
a picked division of ten thousand men in pursuit, 
Avhich the Confederates managed to repulse at every 
point. Especially at Taylor's Ridge did Gen. Thom- 
as' advance came to grief. 

Here Gen. Cleburne concealed his artillery and 
planted his infantry on both sides of the road, and 
when the Federals came very close upon them, with 
both heavy guns and muskets the Confederates 
turned loose such a tire that it is said ''they were fair- 
ly cut to pieces," which caused them to break and flee 
in confusion, leaving scattered upon the bloody road 
fifteen hundred killed and wounded as an evidence 
that they had entered literally into the very jaw^s of 
death. Moreover, the brave and gallant Cleburne had 
in his possession tw^o hundred and fifty prisoners, 
and three battle flags of the Federals; and the latter 
showed their appreciation of this sanguinary lesson 
by ceasing at once from any further pursuit. 

Gen. Longstreet had been sent against Knoxville 
with hardly eleven thousand men, and with but an 
insufiicient amount of supplies and means of trans- 
portation for even these. However, this did not 
daunt the hero of many Virginia battles; but, by tak- 
ing large amounts of ))ooty at Lenoir and Bean's Sta- 
tions and in the Clinch valley, he succeeded in for- 
cing the Federals to assist him in the maintenance of 
his soldier boys who wore the gray. November 18 



1863. MISSIONARY RIDGE. 123 

he had forced the advance lines of the Federals into 
the shelter of their works, and thus had Knoxville 
completely invested, with every probability of an ear- 
ly surrender, when the news of the defeat at Mission- 
ary Ridge made it necessary for him to make an im- 
mediate assault or to retreat. The former course was 
decided upon. At the break of day on N()vem])er 29 
three brigades of McLaw's Division moved against 
that part of the Federal works known as Fort San- 
ders. Over a ground obstructed with stumps and 
wire ingeniously prepared l)y the Federals to throw 
the assaulting column into confusion, those gallant 
boys who wore the gray moved in the midst of a hail- 
storm of death, which placed in mourning many a 
once happy home in Mississippi, Georgia, and South 
Carolina, from which those noble boys who made up 
this division were drawn. However, with their com- 
rades falling around them like the leaves of the for- 
est when swept by an autumn gale, they pressed upon 
the fortifications and planted their own banner side 
])y side with the star-spangled banner. But una- 
vailing was this superb and unsurpassed courage, and, 
leaving their dead and wounded to the number of one 
thousand, they fell back. Gen. Longstreet took up 
his line of march in the direction of Rogersville, with 
the Federals following as far as Bean's Station, where 
the Confederates halted long enough to force them to 
retreat twelve miles, and reminding them that the 
veterans of Fredericksburg and Manassas were still 
ready to fight. Gen. Longstreet then proceeded up 
the State to overrun all the extreme Northeast, main- 
taining his entire army upon the spoils of the coun- 
try- 



CHAPTER XIX. 

MINOR OPERATIONS IN THE WEST. 

Though the operations in the extreme Southwest 
were on a small scale when compared with the scenes 
that were beng enacted on the great theater of war in 
the East, yet the record of how the soldiers fought — 
the story of the struggle for four long years of the 
Southern soldier against such overwhelming numbers 
— would be strangely lacking should one in Avriting a 
narrative omit to weave into the chronicle of events 
how, on September 8, the little garrison at Sabine 
Pass, between Louisiana and Texas, won the victory. 
This fort, though only mounting three guns, was at- 
tacked by a fleet of five gunboats. They disabled one 
of the gunboats and forced two others to surrender. 
Thus, with not the loss of a single man, they had 
gained a victory the fruits of which were, besides 
the two boats, two hundred men and fifteen cannons. 

Many volumes might be written of those irregular 
bands that swept up and down the whole Western 
country, too few in number to risk a general battle 
or an open encounter with superior numbers. 

About all of their actions, manner of life, their 
hairbreadth escapes, their heroic refusal to bow to 
the iron heel of oppression, preferring the long ride, 
the midnight surprise, choosing to be houseless and 
homeless wanderers, and outcasts from the lands they 
loved, hunted like the beasts of the forest, as merci- 
lessly slain when found, there is the atmosphere of 



1863. VIRGINIA AND TENNESSEE BORDER. 125 

romantic fiction, rather than the sober, uncolored 
record of history. Therefore one will have to be con- 
tented with the passing tribute to their devotion to 
the cause they loved, with relating only one charac- 
teristic incident which took place near Fort Smith, 
Ark. While Quantrell and his band of "guerrillas " 
were in the neighborhood of the fort. Gen. Blount, 
accompanied by tw^o hundred cavalrymen, rode out 
to meet them, thinking that they were Federal sol- 
diers. Too late did they discover their fatal mistake. 
With the tierce swoop of an eagle these defenders of 
individual rights, as they believed, and in the rights 
of separate States in the far West, soon had swept the 
entire command from the face of the earth. 

Virginia and Tennessp:e Border. 

Near the dividing line ])etween East Tennessee and 
Virginia the Confederates, under Gen. el ones, and 
the Federals, under Gen. Averill, were battling for 
supremacy in that region. On August 26 these two 
commands met near Dublin, and the first day's fight 
ended without either gaining any decided advantage. 
However, the Federals renewed the contest on the 
next day, but after two unsuccessful attacks they 
were forced to retreat toward Warm Springs, with 
the Confederates following. The latter lost between 
two and three hundred in killed and wounded, but 
took one hundred and fifty prisoners and one piece 
of artillery. On the 6th of the following month the 
Confederates gained a still more decisive victory by 
surprising the Federals near Rogersville, and taking 
(besides wagons, artillery, and cattle) eight hundred 
and fifty prisoners. While Gen. Ransom was per 



126 A NAKRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 



1863. 



forming this brilliant achievement the Federals, seven 
thousand strong, were surrounding Col. W. L. Jack- 
son at Droop Mountain, who had under his command 
only fifteen hundred men. But even with this small 
number he kept the Federals at bay for seven hours, 
marked by a stubborn and heroic resistance, when he 
was forced to retreat in the direction of Lewisbursr, 
which retreat he successfully accomplished without 
the loss of either his stores or artillery. The Fed- 
eral general then made a rapid raid into Virginia, de- 
stroying many supplies, especially at Salem. On his 
return, however, he was met near Covington by Col. 
Jackson, who succeeded in capturing two hundred of 
his command, though Gen. Averill himself managed 
to escape. 

President Lincoln's Peace Proclamation. 

About this time President Lincoln issued what is 
known as the ''Peace Proclamation," only a few 
features of which we will give to show how humili- 
ating it would have been for the South had it been 
accepted: 

Whereas in and by the Constitution of the United States it 
is provided that the President shall have power to give re- 
prieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, 
except in cases of impeachment; and whereas a re])ellion ex- 
ists, whereby the loyal state governments of several States 
have for a long time been subverted, and many persons have 
committed and are guilty of treason against the government 
of the United States, etc. 

Li this document the comj)lete independence of the 
slaves was further guaranteed, and the following ex- 
ceptions from its provisions were made: 

All who are or shall have been civil or diplomatic officers 



1863. PEACE PROCLAMATION. 127 

or agents of the so-called Confederate government; all who 
have left judicial stations under the United States to aid in 
the rebellion; all who are or shall have been naval or mili- 
tary officers of the said so-called Confederate government 
above the rank of colonel in the army or of lieutenant in the 
navy; also all who left seats in the United States Congress to 
aid in the rebellion, etc. 

Such were the general characteristics of this re- 
markable document. One need not read far to see 
that it was a very peculiar ''peace." One feels that 
the generous glow of an earnest, magnanimous de- 
sire for a cessation of hostilities which had caused the 
crimson tide of human life to flow out upon many a 
bloody field was so far wanting that one would not 
be wrong in designating it as a " Proclamation of 
Humiliation." It was like acid to a bleeding wound. 
It meant a confession of treason, of offense against 
civil and moral law. Its acceptance would have been 
at that time like one taking a burning brand and 
stamping upon his own forehead an ineffaceable ac- 
knowledgment of a crime which he had not com- 
mitted. Moreover, the boys who wore the gray and 
had followed their commanders through those trying 
scenes of war were hardly willing to give them ojer 
to the uncertain fate threatened in President Lincoln's 
proclamation. 

Under such circumstances as these, and upon such 
terms, the South never for a moment considered the 
question of peace; therefore, with the heroic purpose 
to die for the principles they had espoused, with a 
steadfast resolve not to willingly sulmiit to a settle- 
ment which would place upon them chains of everlast- 
ing disgrace, these people resumed the third year of 
their struggle with an army so numerous that it would 



128 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL V/AR. 1864. 

seem like the niythical warriors in the the Valley of 
the Walhalla, who fought all day, slaying and being 
slain; but who, being restored to life and strength dur- 
ing the night by some magical power, resumed their 
endless battles the next morning. 

The year ISB-l was opened in Virginia with Gen. 
Early's proposed attack upon the Federals fortified 
strongly at Petersburg in the latter part of January. 
Gen. Rosser, wiih his brigade, was sent on ahead of 
the main body, and near Petersburg he found a wagon 
train ( ninety-six in number) loaded with a vast quan- 
tity of important stores of every description. This 
prize was too valuable to let slip without a struggle; 
so the Confederates made a charge, wdien the Fed- 
erals retreated, leaving their wagons, which were full 
of needed supplies. Thence Gen. Rosser left for 
Peters))urg, with the intention of assisting Gen. 
Early in the attack which they had planned upon 
that city. The Federals, though well fortified, did 
not feel willing to risk an encounter with the Con- 
federates, abandoned the city, and, aided by the dark- 
ness, they escaped. This expedition was quite profita- 
bly. Gen. Rosser captured nearly three hvmdfed pris- 
oners and one thousand head of cattle. 

Attack upon New Berne, N. C. 

Inunediately following these exploits of the Con- 
federates in the Valley was Gen. Pickett's expedition 
against the Federals at New Berne, N. C, which re- 
sulted hardly less brilliantly than the former. AVitli 
only two brigades, he charged the Federal outposts 
on Bachelor's Creek, in the vicinity of New Berne. 
With an impetuous rush he forced the Federals to 



1864. BATTLE OF OCEAN POND. 129 

retreat to the shelter of their fortifications. During 
the night a small detachment surprised and captured 
one of the finest gunboats of the Federals, moored in 
the Neuse river. After a hand to hand combat the 
crew was forced to surrender, but the Confederates 
were unable to hold the vessel on account of the fire 
from the batteries on the banks; therefore, rather than 
allow her to fall back into the hands of the Federals, 
they gave her over to the flames, and she was soon 
burned to the water's edge. The result of this enter- 
prise was three hundred prisoners with their arms, two 
fine cannons, quite a goodly supply of provisions, cloth- 
ing, camp supplies, a number of horses and cattle. 

This series of small victories was continued in an- 
other quarter on the 10th and 11th of February. The 
Federals made an attack on the Confederates on 
John's Island, near Charleston, S. C. Being some- 
what successful on the 10th, they renewed their 
efforts on the following day; but, the Confederates 
having been reenforced, they were forced to retreat 
hurriedly. 

Battle of Ocean Pond. 

The month of February was rendered still more 
conspicuous by a victory farther south in the pine 
woods of Florida. Gen. Finnegan, the Confederate 
commander, had with him a force too small to cope 
with the Federals, fully eight thousand in number, 
who had come under Gen. Seymour from Charleston 
harbor; therefore the former was forced to retreat 
before the Federals until he was reenforced by Gen. 
Colquitt, with his command, which was increased to 
five thousand, taking his position near Ocean Pond, 
awaiting the Federals. On the afternoon of the 20th 
9 



130 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1864. 

the latter made their expected attack, which was but 
a repetition of the results which followed whenever 
those boys who wore the blue and the gray met in 
equal numbers. The Federals sustained themselves 
for a time, but when the boys in gray made their 
furious onslaught, so peculiar to them in all their bat- 
tles from the Potomac to the Rio Grande, the Fed- 
erals retreated in the direction of Jacksonville. They 
left on the battlefield three hundred dead and wounded. 
The Confederates had eighty killed and six hundred 
wounded. 



CHAPTER XX. 

INVASION OF MISSISSIPPI AND ALABAMA. 

Gen. Grant now conceived the idea of carrying 
the war more thoroughly into the interior of the ex- 
treme Southern States, thus destroying the great 
source of Confederate supplies. This plan was put 
into active operation February 1, 1864, by Gen. Sher- 
man marching out of Vicksburg with a column thir- 
ty-five thousand strong, and Gens. Grierson and 
Smith proceeding through the northern part of the 
State of Mississippi at the head of ten thousand cav- 
ahy and mounted infantry. The objective point of 
both of these expeditions was the city of Mobile, 
which place was at the same time anticipating an 
attack from the water by Federal gunboats. Gen. 
Polk was in command of the Confederate interests 
in this quarter, with a force not at all adequate to con- 
tend with the large Federal force. However, sending 
Gen. Forrest to watch the course of Gens. Grierson 
and Smith, he succeeded in holding Gen. Sherman in 
check long enough to save his supplies, also to evacuate 
Meridian, Miss., in good order, and retreat safely to 
Demopolis, Ala. 

In contending with the other column Gen. Forrest 
added new laurels to his fame as a cavalry leader. 
With only a force of less than twenty-five hundred 
men it was necessary for him to crush this magnifi- 
cently equipped cavalry of the Federals, nearly thrice 
his own in number. Near West Point this undaunted 



132 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1864. 

Tennesseean made a stand, and, having posted his 
men irregularly in the bushes, he awaited the rush 
and onslaught of the Federals. As these brave boys 
in blue rode to the attack Confederate rifles began to 
crack, and with these whiplike reports the Federals 
were seen to fall in such alarming rapidity as to pro- 
duce confusion and to check their advance. The 
empty saddles still continued to increase to such an 
extent as to spread a contagious terror in the ranks, 
and they gave up the contest and retreated. 

Again, at Okolona, Februaiy 21, the Federals made 
a disastrous attempt to crush Gen. Forrest's small 
force. In this conflict the rout of the Federals was 
more complete than in the first, and they retreated 
toward Memphis. 

These brilliant successes on the part of the Confed- 
erates prevented Gen. Sherman from reaping any of 
the fruits of his invasion of the State. Therefore he 
was forced to withdraw to Vicksburg his heavy col- 
umn, his magnificent army, with which he expected 
to accomplish so much, with very barren laurels rest- 
ing upon its banners. On February 25 the Fed- 
erals followed this expedition by an attempt on the 
part of Gen. Thomas to push through the Confederate 
lines upon Atlanta. But this movement was checked, 
and the Federals were forced to fall back to Chat- 
tanooga. 

Legal Enactments. 

Besides this auspicious beginning in the field, the 
year 186i was characterized by the enforcement of a 
few important acts of legislation: first, the funding 
of the currency; second, the stopping of further is- 
sues of paper money; third, a provision for greater 



1864. FEDERAL EXPEDITIONS. 133 

revenues by an increase in taxation; and fourth, the 
sale of six per cent bonds to the amount of $500,000,- 
000. In addition to these hnancial measures the 
"Conscript Law" was revised and more rigorously 
enforced, thus placing the army on a better basis. 

Federal Cavalry Raids. 

In Virginia operations were continued by a plan of 
the Federals, with a picked body of men, to surprise 
and take the city of Richmond. To consummate this 
design, on February 28 there were three expeditions, 
under command of Gens. Kilpatrick and Custer and 
Col. Ulric Dahlgreen, respectively, having Richmond 
for their objective point. First, Gen. Custer collided 
with a detachment of Stuart's Horse Artillery, under 
Maj. Beckham, near Rio Mills, the Federals retreat- 
ing across Rivanna River. Gen. Kilpatrick man- 
ageed to get in sight of the spires of Richmond. Col. 
Dahlgreen fared worse than the other two; for, on his 
way to Richmond, he was confronted by a local bat- 
tery and a force of clerks and schoolboys, whose first 
fire scattered Col. Dahlgreen's command in confu- 
sion, with a loss of fifty in killed and wounded. He 
retreated, harassed by irregular bands of Confeder- 
ates, until near Walker ton, where he was attacked by 
Lieut. Pollard with a company of rangers, together 
with a f CAV cavalry under Capt. Cox. Col. Dahlgreen 
was killed and part of his band captured. Papers 
found on the body of Col. Dahlgreen showed how well 
laid his plans were. 

Federal Expeditions from New Orleans and 

ViCKSBURG. 

Transferring our narrative of operations to the 



134 A NAREATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1864. 

Southwest, we find the Federals engaged in the prep- 
aration of an extensive movement in that quarter, 
which had for its purpose the complete subjuga- 
tion of the country west of the Mississippi river. 
Accordingly, two large forces (one from New Or- 
leans, under Gen. Franklin; the other from Vicks- 
burg, under Gen. A. J. Smith) moved westward. 
The latter proceeded up Red River, and on the 14th 
captured Fort De Russy, with nearly three hundred 
prisoners. Thence they advanced up through that 
rich cotton section, destroying and confiscating many 
thousands of dollars' worth of this valuable commod- 
ity, and on the 16th took possession of Alexandria, La. 

All three of the Federal divisions now turned their 
attention to Shreveport, La., as the most important 
point in the Southwest region. April 8, near the 
town of Mansfield, Gen. Banks was confronted by the 
Confederates under Gen. Kirby Smith. The contest 
raged for several hours; but, being unable to sustain 
themselves against the furious attacks of the boys 
in gray, the boys in blue began to retreat, and so 
continued until reenforced by Gen. Franklin. This 
battle cost the Federals, in killed, wounded, and 
missing, fifteen hundred men, eighteen cannons, 
and wagon trains containing a large amount of sup- 
plies. 

Gen. Banks reorganized his forces, and, having 
been reenforced by Gen. A. J. Smith with his divi- 
sion, he awaited the oncoming Confederates in an 
open field, in which was a small hill that gave it the 
name of ''Pleasant Hill Battle." The engagement 
was begun by a magnificent charge of the Confeder- 
ates in a triple line. After pushing the Federals 



1864. OEN. FOREEST IN KENTUCKY. 135 

back and capturing one battery, Gen. Kirby Smith 
withdrew his forces to their original position and 
awaited further developments from the Federals; but 
they had suffered too much — two thousand in killed 
and wounded — to try the results of another con- 
flict, and therefore retreated to Grand Ecore with- 
out having accomplished the great purpose of their 
expedition. Moreover, the gallant Gen. Kirby 
Smith had in his possession, as the spoils of war, 
over one thousand wagons, thirty-five cannons, and 
six thousand prisoners. Gen. Banks succeeded in 
getting his shattered army behind the guns of New 

Orleans. 

Gen. Forrest in Kentucky. 

The Confederates seemed determined to have in 
the West an unbroken line of victories. Gen. For- 
rest, with his band of tireless riders, swept through 
Kentucky, and on the 12th of April, after a refusal 
of the commander, Maj. Booth, to surrender, he 
stormed Fort Pillow, and in half an hour had slain 
five hundred of the garrison and captured the remain- 
der, together with a large amount of stores. 

This attack upon Fort Pillow the Federals have 
been ever willing to designate as a massacre. It is 
true the mortality of the Federals was fearful; yet 
when one considers that they failed to take down 
their flag, and that the Confederates found opposed 
to them as a part of the garrison a large number of 
negroes (their former slaves, whom they had reared 
and cared for, and who now turned to bite the hand 
that fed them), then one can appreciate the thorough 
exasperation with which they fought. 

Gen. Forrest at once moved against Paducah, Ky., 



136 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1864. 

on the 25th, and forced the Federals, who were two 
thousand strong, to retire. He took possession, de- 
stroying vast quantities of stores. 

Confederates Retake Plymouth, N. C. 

Across the mountains, in the ''Old North State," 
the Confederates were preparing to place yet another^ 
star in their brilliant constellation of victories. The 
Federals had strongly fortified Plymouth, on the south 
bank of the Roanoke river. Against this place Gen. 
Hoke organized an expedition, which consisted of 
three brigades, commanded by Gen. Ransom and Cols. 
Mercer and Terry, and one regiment of cavalry under 
Col. Bearing, with seven batteries of artillery, com- 
manded by Maj. Reid and Col. Branch. April 17 the 
expedition arrived in the vicinity of the town, and 
turned their artillery upon Warren's Neck, about one 
mile above. The result of the bombardment was 
much damage to the fort and the destruction of one 
of the gunboats which had come to its help. This 
was followed by an attack on Fort Wessell the next 
day, which surrendered after a brave resistance. In 
this assault Col. Mercer lost his life. Next morning 
the Confederate ironclad Albemarle steamed past 
the Federal batteries and attacked two of their gun- 
boats. One was sunk, but the other escaped. On 
the morning of the 28th a general attack was made. 
With cheers the Confederates took battery after bat- 
tery. The Federals retreated, leaving all the forts, 
sixteen hundred prisoners, immense quantities of 
supplies, and twenty-five cannons. 



CHAPTER XXI. 
In Virginia Again. 

Attention is once more turned to the grand old 
"Mother State," upon whose bosom is soon to take 
place the final struggles which are to decide the fate 
of the new government which has been battling so 
nobly, so superbly, for her independence. The Fed- 
eral government had transferred Gen. Grant to the 
East, with the hope and expectation that he would re- 
peat in this new field that characteristic success which 
had marked his career in the West, and had put un- 
der him as magnificently equipped an army as had 
ever stepped to the sound of martial music. Each 
side somehow had a premonition that this was to be 
the final and decisive campaign, that there was going 
to be a mighty struggle in which one cause or the 
other was going to die. The victories that the gray 
lines had been gaining in the South made the South- 
ern heart throb with a new hope, into which no ele- 
ment of despair or doubt entered; therefore it was 
with buoyant and confident step that the veterans of 
Lee's army marched out to meet the two huge col- 
umns which Gen. Grant set in motion on the 4th of 
May. On the following day they had crossed the 
Rapidan, and were making an attempt to turn Gen. 
Lee's right flank, which consisted of Gen. Edward 
Johnson's Division, holding a position along a turn- 
pike. The attack of the Federals was made with 
vigor, and for a time it seemed as if it would be 



138 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1864. 

successful. But their apparent good fortune was 
only temporary, for the break they had made in the 
Confederate lines was soon closed up, while at the 
same time Gordon's Brigade struck them a severe 
blow in front that sent them reeling back in confu- 
sion. The Federals made a second attack upon an- 
other part of Gen. Johnson's line — the left — but 
were warmly received by Pegram's and Hays's Bri- 
gades, and hurled back after the manner of their first 
attack. Not satisfied with these advances, the Fed- 
erals made a still more determined effort against 
Heth's and Wilcox' Divisions, which lasted from 
three o'clock until dark. But they made no impres- 
sion upon that unbroken line of gray, and it was con- 
fessed from their owm standpoint "that no cheer of 
victory swelled through the wilderness that night." 
The next day was consumed in assaults by Gens. Hill 
and Longstreet upon Hancock's Corps; but, though 
the line of the Federals was broken in several places 
by the effective blows of these two tried corps, yet 
they managed in the main to hold their position. 
Toward evening, however, the Confederates succeeded 
iu capturing a large part of Gen. Seymour's Brigade, 
and this action created among the Federal forces such 
consternation that at one time it seemed that their 
whole army was on the point of a panic. 

On the following day (the 7th) Gen. Grant moved 
his army in the direction of Fredericksburg, wdth the 
intention, it seems, of taking this route to Richmond. 
On the 8th, at Spottsylvania C. H., Gen. Warren's 
Corps received two severe repulses at the hands of 
Gen. Longstreet's Corps, which was now under the 
command of Gen. Anderson, for the former had been 



1864. IN VIRGINIA AGAIN. 139 

wounded in the battle two days before. This ended 
matters until Thursday, the 12th, when the Federals 
moved against the Confederate fortifications, and be- 
fore the latter could recover themselves they had sur- 
rounded and captured nearly all of Johnson's Division. 
It was a critical point. The fate of the Confederacy 
almost hung in the balance. The Federals seemed 
now to be on the point of a decisive victory, that 
would throw open the gates of Richmond. Gen. Lee 
rode forward in front of the lines he had so often led 
to conquest and success. The scene was dramatic in 
its subdued intensity. He took a position ''opposite 
at the time to the colors of the Forty-Ninth Regi- 
ment of Pegram's Brigade. Not a word did he say. 
He simply took off his hat 'as he sat on his charger.' 
An eyewitness says of him : ' I never saw a man look 
so noble or witnessed a spectacle so impressive.' At 
this interesting moment Gen. Gordon, spurring his 
foaming charger to the front, seized the reins of Gen. 
Lee's horse, and, turning him around, said: 'General, 
these are Virginians! They have never failed! They 
never will; will you, boys? ' Amid loud cries of ' No, 
no! Gen. Lee, to the rear! Go back, go back! 
Gen. Lee, to the rear! Gen. Gordon gave the com- 
mand, 'Forward, charge!' With this the inspira- 
tion of the battle was upon them. The heroes of 
Jackson were again themselves, and grandly did they 
fight through all that terrible day in a manner fully 
worthy of that grim warrior under whom they had 
swept so gloriously up the Valley." The shadows of 
night dropped their dark curtain on a theater upon 
whose stage had been played in awful reality one of 
the fiercest of all the acts in the dread tragedy of this 



140 A NAREATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1864. 

war. Ewell, Longstreet, and Hill had ^ung colninn 
after column of Federals back, each time piling the 
ground thick with dead and dying, for the outflow of 
the crimson tide of human life stained between 
eighteen and twenty-flve thousand blue ' uniforms, 
and perhaps seven thousand of the gray. But the 
Federals also had in their possession the three thou- 
sand prisoners of Johnson's Division and the twenty 
pieces of artillery captured at the same time. 

While Gen. Grant was thus trying to break Gen. 
Lee's front. Gen. Sheridan was sent to cooperate with 
Gen. Butler, who was to move against Richmond 
from the south. On his route to Turkey Island on 
the 10th, at Yellow Tavern, he was opposed by Gen. 
J. E. B. Stuart with his cavalry. In this encounter 
the gallant Stuart, the very soul of Virginia chivalry, 
laid down his life for the country for which he had 
done so much and at whose hands he deserves a high 
rank in the calendar of heroic names in remembrance 
of which the South has planted an evergreen of im- 
mortality. 

On the 5th of May Gen. Butler advanced, with a 
large force and a fleet of gunboats, up the James river, 
and landed and proceeded to intrench himself around 
Drewry's Bluff; but he was forced to abandon this 
position whon Gen. Beauregard struck him such a 
forcible blow on the right as to crush it, inflicting a 
loss of several thousand in killed, wounded, and pris- 
oners. 

There was still another feature of the enemy's ex- 
tensive operations in Virginia by which they hoped 
to effect a speedy destruction of the Confederacy. 
Gen. Sigel, with twelve thousand troops, was sent up 



1864. COLD HARBOR. 141 

the Shenandoah against Staunton, Gen. Crook with 
six thousand against Dublin, and Gen. Averill with 
two thousand five hundred cavalry against Wythe- 
ville. The first, under Gen. Sigel, felt the might of 
Gen. Breckinridge's army at Newmarket when the 
latter punished him to the extent of a large number 
in killed and wounded, six cannons, and nearly one 
thousand stands of arms. At Dublin Gen. Crook was 
sent back in full retreat by Gen. McCausland with 
only a force of one thousand five hundred. Besides 
a severe loss in killed and wounded, the Federals left 
in the hands of the Confederates nearly seven hun- 
dred prisoners. Gen. Averill's attack upon Wythe- 
ville was no more successful, for he was repulsed hj 
Gen. Morgan with a heavy loss. Thus it will be seen 
that the plans of the Federals were thoroughly and 
completely bafiled at every point and brought to 
naught. 

Cold Harbor. 

On the 18th the guns were again thundering along 
the lines holding the approaches toward Richmond, 
for the tenacity of the Federal commander expressed 
itself in another fruitless assault upon Gen. Ewell's 
position. Gen. Grant changed his position again and 
again, but each time the ever-watchful Lee threw his 
insuperable wall of gray between him and the devot- 
ed city. The former, however, kept testing the 
strength of this wall by attacks on the 23d and 25th, 
and at the same time continued to swing his line 
around until by the 28th he had his army across the 
Pamunky river, and by the 1st of June was near Cold 
Harbor, with the object for which they had struggled 
so long almost in sight. But the fruition of their 



142 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1864. 

hopes was yet to be deferred, and the successful con- 
summation of their plans, which seemed now at hand, 
to be shattered like a crystal fabric of frail glass by 
the blow which they received at Cold Harbor. On 
the morning of Friday, June 3, the Federals massed 
their forces against the Confederates intrenched along 
the Chickahominy. Assault after assault was made, 
and each time the Federals were hurled back, the 
Confederates retaining every position and giving no 
evidence of weakness at any point of their line save 
in one instance on the left, which was quickly re- 
paired. Thus the Federals were again made to feel 
the effectiveness of those blows that had so complete- 
ly held at bay each successive ''On to Richmond" 
expedition. The Federals paid the penalty for their 
attack upon the Confederate lines with ten thousand 
men. 

It seemed now that this leader, whom the North 
had chosen to lead them to a decisive victory, was to 
fare at the hands of Gen. Lee just as his predecessors 
had fared, for from a Federal historian his loss so far 
in this campaign was sixty thousand men, while the 
same authority gives the Confederate loss at a little 
over half that number. 

The Western Part of Virginia. 
The Federals were not satisfied with the repulses 
which they had met in the western part of Virginia. 
Accordingly they prepared a large force and put it 
under command of Gen. Hunter. To oppose this 
force the Confederates could only bring three small 
divisions — neither large enough to be called an army 
— commanded respectively by Breckinridge, McCaus- 



1864. ATTACK UPON PETERSBURG. 143 

land, and William E. Jones. By the 5th of June the 
Federals had accomplished the captm-e of Staunton, 
in defense of which the brave and eccentric Gen. 
Jones lost his life. Several days later Gen. Hunter 
united to his own command those of Gens. Cook and 
Averill, and moved in the direction of Lynchburg. 

Attack upon Petersburg. 

Gen. Grant now determined to put forth a greater 
effort for the capture of the city of Petersburg, which 
had already on the 9th of June repulsed an attack 
from Gen. Butler. Active preparations were begun 
on the Ittth by Gen. Smith with his forces assaulting 
and getting possession of the first line of Confederate 
fortifications on the northeast. This was followed on 
the 16th by an attack of three corps of the Federal 
army on the front, which were not only repulsed, but 
the Confederates themselves became the attacking par- 
ty and drove the Federals before them and captured 
some of their artillery, together with a large portion 
of an entire regiment. The next day the Federals 
repeated these tactics with the same results, but on 
the 18th they made one more effort to get possession 
of the city, which, as Gov. Wise said in the begin- 
ning, "is to be and shall be defended on her outer 
walls, on her inner lines, at her corporation bounds, 
in every street and around every temple of God and 
altar of man." Three times during the day did the 
Federals hurl their heavy columns against the for- 
tifications, but all to no purpose. The Confeder- 
ates still held possession, having inflicted upon 
their opponents a loss of ten thousand in killed and 
wounded. 



144 a narrative of the civil war. 1864. 

Other Reverses of the Federals. 

The Federals seemed now to be meeting with re- 
verses all along their lines. At Port Walthall Junc- 
tion Pickett's Division had struck Gilmore's command 
a blow that put him to flight, while Hampton's Cav- 
alry had served Sheridan in a similar manner on June 
10 at Trevillian Station, and on the 18th Hunter was 
sent back to the mountains, having been repulsed 
from his anticipated attack upon Lynchburg, with a 
loss of thirteen pieces of artillery. Southwest Vir- 
ginia was also saved by Gen. Morgan's bold advance 
into Kentucky, which forced the Federals to follow 
him in order to protect that State. 

While these offshoots, so to speak, from the main 
stem of Gen. Grant's purposes were being nipped in 
the bud, he himself was made to suffer when the 
Confederates under Gen. Anderson fell upon the 
Second and Sixth Corps, penetrated their line, and 
took one battery and one whole brigade. Still another 
Federal expedition, commanded by Wilson and Kautz, 
was defeated a score of miles south of Petersburg. 
At the hands of Gens. Hampton, Mahone, and Fin- 
negan they lost sixteen hundred prisoners, together 
with artillery, wagons, stores, and small arms. 

Gen. Grant now determined that he must do some- 
thing to retrieve the disasters which were falling upon 
him thick and fast. Therefore he resorted to the 
method of undermining and blowing up the prin- 
cipal fortifications around Petersburg. The mine 
was constructed under Cemetery Hill, and at half 
past four o'clock on the morning of July 30 the 
match was applied, and a mighty gap was rent in the 
earth by the explosion. Simultaneous with this the 



1864. 



THE LOSS OF THE ALABAMA. 145 



thunders of a hundred guns were opened upon the 
city, which was a signal for a general attack on the 
part of the Federals, hoping to take the Confederates 
unawares, but they discovered how completely they 
had mistaken the latter when they found themselves 
driven back in rout and confusion, many falling into 
the crater, making with their own dead and dying 
the chasm which they themselves had constructed a 
pit of horrors. This experiment cost Gen. Grant 
over five thousand men, while the loss of the Con- 
federates was comparatively light — about one thou- 
sand men. 

The Loss of the Alabama. 

The ardor of the Confederates, however, was some- 
what chilled by the loss of their most formidable ship 
of war, the Alabama, under the command of Capt. 
Semmes. On the 19th of June, off the harbor of 
Cherbourg, France, Capt. Semmes offered battle to 
the Federal ship Kearsarge. The latter was so well 
protected by iron plating and chains that the shot 
of the Alabama made little impression upon her, 
while her own shot were so effective that in a short 
time it was discovered that the Confederate vessel 
was in a sinking condition, and Capt. Semmes was 
forced to haul down his colors. 
10 



CHAPTER XXII. 

GEN. SHERMAN IN THE SOUTH. 

While Gen. Grant was moving against Richmond, 
Gen. Sherman was preparing for an invasion of the 
South with an army of ninety-eight thousand men 
divided 'into three great divisions, under Gens. 
Thomas, Schofield, and McPherson. To oppose these 
mighty columns Gen. Joseph E. Johnston could bring 
into the field an active army of not over forty thou- 
sand men. 

Gen. Sherman now moved in the direction of Dal- 
ton, Ga., and met his first check on the 14th of May 
in the Resaca valley, when he attempted to carry 
the Confederate works. The Federals were driven 
back with a loss of two thousand men. Gen. John- 
ston gradually fell back before the advancing legions 
of the Federals, but all the time waiting and watch- 
ing for an opportunity to strike a blow, if the Fed- 
erals should expose any weak point or commit a 
blunder. By the 20th he had crossed the Etowah 
river, and on the 25th he encountered the fortifica- 
tions of the Federals near Dallas. The latter assumed 
the offensive by hurling Hooker's Corps against 
Stewart's Division at New Hope Church; but, after 
struggling for two hours to drive the Confederates 
from their position, the Federals were repulsed. All 
day during the 26th and until five o'clock in the 
afternoon of the 27th was consumed in skirmishes 
between the two armies, when the Federals again 



1864. GEN. SHERMAN IN THE SOUTH. 147 

essayed an assault upon the Confederates. Cleburne's 
brave division received their attack this time at the 
hands of Howard's Corps. The latter were again 
beaten back, with an estimated loss of perhaps 
three thousand men, while the Confederates only suf- 
fered to the extent of four hundred and fifty. Lieut. 
Gen. Polk was killed on Pine Mountain on the 14th 
of June. 

Gen. Johnston still kept up his brilliantly con- 
ducted retreat, striking the Federals now and then 
some severe blows, until he reached Kennesaw Moun- 
tain, where he made a stand. The huge column of 
Federals made a strong attack on the 27th of June, 
but they were met by the veteran troops of Cheat- 
ham's and Cleburne's Division of Hardee's Corps, 
together with French's and Featherstone's Divisions 
of Loring's Corps, and the result was that they were 
repulsed with a frightful loss of fully three thousand 
men, according to their own reports. Thence Gen. 
Johnston was forced to withdraw to the fortifications 
of Atlanta, which the Federals at once besieged. 

The wise and cautious Johnston was superseded by 
the rash, lion-hearted, but unfortunate Hood, who 
would not patiently endure a siege, but suddenly 
hurled a column, led by Walker's and Bate's Divi- 
sions of Hardee's Corps, against the Federals' right 
at Peach Tree Creek. Grandly they charged with 
that cheer which had been the sound to which they 
had rushed to many a glorious victory; but with 
marvelous rapidity the Federals managed to mass 
their artillery upon them, and they were forced to 
withdraw. Two days later, July 22, by a second at- 
tack with Hardee's Corps the Federals were driven 



148 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1864. 

from their fortifications, leaving in the hands of the 
Confederates nearly two thousand prisoners, twenty- 
two pieces of artillery, and ^ye stands of colors. 

This was followed by an attempt to destroy all the 
railroads around Atlanta. For this purpose two 
forces of cavalry, under Gens. Stoneman and Mc- 
Cook, were to meet near Lovejoy, and fall upon the 
Confederate cavalry under Gen. Wheeler. Both of 
these expeditions proved to be hardly adequate for 
their task; for Gen. Stoneman was encountered near 
Macon, and he and one thousand of his men were cap- 
tured. Gen. McCook, with one thousand men, was 
also captured at this place. 

On the 28th of July Gen. Hood made a vigorous 
assault upon the Fifteenth Corps, but he was re- 
pulsed with a loss of fifteen hundred men. How 
grandly the Confederates moved to this attack forced 
from Gen. Sherman this remark: "His [Hood's] ad- 
vance was magnificent." For several weeks the Fed- 
erals kept up an almost ceaseless bombardment upon 
the city, until on the 18th of August Sherman moved 
his line upon the road toward Macon, in order to cut 
off Gen. Hood's supplies. The latter then sent his 
cavalry, under Gen. Wheeler, to harass the Feder- 
als. 

Meantime a part of the Confederates, under Gen. 
Hardee, had intrenched themselves at Jonesboro, a 
distance of twenty-two miles from that portion under 
Gen. Hood at Atlanta. Quickly perceiving this un- 
fortunate position of the Confederates, Gen. Sherman 
threw his army between the two positions. By the 
30th of August the Federals had succeeded in cross- 
ing Flint River, and had taken up a position near 



1864. GEN. EAIILY*S RAID. 149 

Jonesboro, where they were subjected to a fruitless 
attack from Gen. Hardee. This was followed on the 
1st of September by an assault from the Federals 
themselves, with a largely superior force, and the 
Confederates found it necessary to retreat, and al- 
lowed the Federals the possession of the prize for 
which they had been struggling for more than three 
months, but kept at bay by an army much less than 
half their own. To the protests coming from both 
Gen. Hood and the mayor of Atlanta the Federal gen- 
eral replied that ''war is cruelty, and you cannot 
refine it," forgetting that modern, civilized warfare 
had for its arena the battlefield, where either one side 
or the other prevailed through superiority in courage 
and skill, and not the oppression of the women and 
children in the cities which chance or conquest might 
throw into its hands. 

Gen. Forrest at Tishomingo Creek. 

A Federal expedition, under Gen. Sturgis, had 
been sent out from Memphis for the purpose of fol- 
lowing in the rear of Gen. Sherman and cooperating 
with him. 

By a singular coincident on the 13th of June they 
came in contact at Guntown with the terrible Forrest 
and his band, who had perpetrated the so-called "mas- 
sacre" at Fort Pillow. Short, sharp, and eifective 
were the blows which this redoubtable cavalryman 
struck, and the result was that two thousand of Stur- 
gis' force were taken prisoners, and almost as many 
were killed and wounded. 

Gen. Early's Raid. 
In Viro^inia the Confederates assumed the offensive 



150 A NARRATIYE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1864. 

by Gen. Early's raid into Maryland. On the 3d of 
July he moved forward near Harper's Ferry, fright- 
ening Sigel so badly at Martinsburg that he retreated 
to Sharpsburg, leaving in the hands of the Confed- 
erates a quantity of valuable stores. After two se- 
vere engagements the Federals were again forced to 
fall back to Maryland Heights, where they were re- 
enforced by Gens. Max Weber and Lew Wallace; 
thence they took a position at Monacacy Bridge, four 
miles from Frederick City. Here intrenched they 
were attacked by Gen. Early, and after a contest of 
two hours' duration they were defeated, with a loss 
of over one thousand in killed and wounded and 
seven hundred prisoners, while the Confederates won 
their victory at a cost of five hundred in killed and 
wounded. 

Thence Gen. Early advanced toward Washington, 
throwing the city into a state of complete consterna- 
tion and terror, for his attack was hourly expected. 
But the Confederates contented themselves with with- 
drawing across the Potomac, with a vast quantity of 
booty as the fruits of their expedition, among which 
were ''five thousand horses and twenty-five hundred 
beef cattle. " However the Federals did not allow him 
to depart in peace, but a force fifteen thousand strong, 
under Gen. Crook, followed him, which Gen. Early 
turned upon about five miles from Winchester, and 
thoroughly routed, with a loss of over one thousand, 
while he himself hardly suffered to the extent of six- 
ty men. 

Gen. John Morgan Invades Kentucky. 
Coincident with Gen. Early's expedition was Gen. 



1864. I'HE "peace*' QUESTION. 151 

Morgan's second invasion of the State of Kentucky. 
In rapid succession the Confederates captured Par- 
is, Georgetown, Cynthiana, Williamstown, and Mt. 
Sterling. At the latter place on the 9th of June Gen. 
Morgan encountered Gen. Burbridge. The Federals 
had been in pursuit since the Confederates left Pound 
Gap. This engagement was barren of decisive re- 
sults to either side, and Gen. Morgan continued his 
work of destruction, burning the Federals' cars and 
depots, and capturing two regiments of prisoners at 
the town of Cynthiana, which was also destroyed. 
However, while at breakfast at this place on the 
morning of June 12, the Confederates were sur- 
prised by the Federals under Gen. Burbridge, and, 
though the former had fought nobly for an hour, they 
were defeated, losing six hundred in killed and wound- 
ed and nearly four hundred prisoners. 

General Price in Missouri. 
Gen. Price's raid into Missouri in the latter part of 
the month of September was equally wanting in any 
material benefit. He attacked the Federals, who were 
strongly fortified at Pilot Knob, eighty-six miles 
south of St. Louis, and forced them to evacuate the 
place. The Confederates pursued the Federals as far 
as Rolla, and then desisted, and without further oper- 
ations went into winter quarters. 

The "Peace" Question. 
About this time the question of peace between the 
two sections was again agitated. So much blood was 
being spilled, and so much money spent, that at the 
North, as was made evident from the tone of the lead- 
ing newspapers, was growing a strong sentiment to- 



152 A NARKATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1864. 

ward the establishment of peace on terms honorable 
to both sides. To show what the South had done in 
the effort to put a stop to a war that was drawing 
from the peaceful walks of life over three million 
men, it would be well to quote from a letter of Pres- 
ident Davis on the subject: 

We have made three distinct efforts to communicate with 
the authorities at Washington, and have been invariably un- 
successful. Commissioners were sent before hostilities were 
begun, and the Washington government refused to receive 
them or hear w^hat they had to say. A second time I sent a 
military officer with a communication addressed by myself to 
President Lincoln. The letter was received by Gen. Scott, 
who did not permit the officer to see Mr. Lincoln, but prom- 
ised that an answer would be sent. No answer has been re- 
ceived. The third lime, a few months ago, a gentleman was 
sent whose position, character, and reputation were such as 
to insure his reception were not the Federals determined to 
receive no proposals whatever from the government. Vice 
President Stephens made a patriotic tender of his services, in 
the hope of being able to promote the cause of humanity; 
and although little belief was entertained, of his success, I 
cheerfully yielded to his suggestion that the experiment 
should be tried. They refused to let him pass through their 
lines or to hold any conference with them. He was stopped 
before he reached Fortress Monroe on his way to Washington. 
To attempt again (in the face of these repeated rejections of 
all conference with us) to send commissioners or agents to 
propose peace is to invite insult and contumely, and to sub- 
ject ourselves to indignities without the slightest chance of 
being listened to. 

This letter is given to show the nature of the opin- 
ion at the South. The people of this section were 
battling for a principle which was, in their eyes, very 
essential to the freedom and prosperity of Republi- 
can institutions; but, however firm and tenacious 



1864. THE "peace*' QUESTION. 153 

their belief in the righteousness of this principle, 
even in the moment of victory they ever showed them- 
selves willing and ready to stop the ceaseless flow of 
blood upon a fair and equitable basis. But on the 
other hand, that party represented by the govern- 
ment at Washington, inasmuch as it had come into 
power with the tide of a war, showed no disposition to 
treat with the Southern States on any but the most 
humiliating terms, and would accept no proposition 
coming from them which looked toward an amicable 
and honorable settlement. 

Gov. Seymour, of New York, made the following 
arraignment of the character of the government: 
" They were animated by intolerance and fanaticism, 
and blinded by ignorance of the spirit of our institu- 
tions, the character of our people, and the condition 
of our land. . . . They will not have the union 
restored unless upon conditions unknown to the Con- 
stitution. . . . We are shackled with no hates, 
no prejudices, no passions. We wish for fraternal 
relations with the people of the South. We demand 
for them what we demand for ourselves: the full rec- 
ognition of the rights of the States." 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY — GEN. GRANT IN VIRGINIA. 

[Contributed by Lieut. Wharton, who was on board the Ten- 
nessee at the time.] 

The entrance to Mobile bay was defended in the 
summer of 1864 by Forts Gaines and Morgan, on op- 
posite sides of the entrance, about two and a half 
miles apart; but as the channel was close to the lat- 
ter, it was practically the defense of the harbor. A 
line of torpedoes extended across the channel. *In ad- 
dition there was a Confederate squadron of four ves- 
sels, the Morgan, Gaines, and Selma, wooden gun- 
boats, and the ironclad Tennessee. Fort Morgan 
mounted eighty-six guns and the squadron twenty- 
two guns. All told, the Confederates had one hun- 
dred and eight guns and eleven hundred men. The 
Federal fleet attacking was composed of fourteen 
wooden vessels and four monitors, mounting two hun- 
dred guns, and manned by twenty-seven hundred 
men. 

On August 5, 1864, the Federal fleet got under 
way from off the entrance and advanced to the attack, 
the monitors leading in a single line and the wooden 
vessels lashed together two and two. At 6:1:5 A. M. 
the leading monitor fired the first shot at the fort; 
and soon after, as the Federal fleet advanced, the fir- 
ing became general between the fort and the fleet. 
But a fateful moment was approaching. The bow 
gun of the Tennessee was loaded with a rifled one 



^ 



cio(\R Point 



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% TowEK Is. 










Oiri^^cZ' 



Z.'txV-a-i^ 



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a-"^ 



Naval Engagement in Mobile Bay. 



156 A ZTAEEATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1864. 

hundred and forty pound bolt, to he fired at the first 
of the monitors when the two should come together. 
It was never fired at her. As the Tecumseh neared 
the line of torpedoes her bow was gradually seen to 
sink, the water rose upon a slanting turret, she was 
over on her side, her screw visible in air, and then she 
was out of sight. One hundred and thirty souls per- 
ished there in less than ten seconds. A few men only 
were seen to leap wildly from her turret as she went 
down. There was no disturbance of the water except 
the splash and gurgle she made in sinking. The full 
force of the terrible torpedo expended itself inside the 
vessel. 

The sinking of this finest and most formidable of 
the Federal ships demoralized the head of the line, and 
they began to back. Seeing disgrace and defeat im- 
minent if this were permitted. Admiral Farragut 
boldly steamed out of his place in the middle of the 
Federal fleet and led it, regardless of torpedoes — no 
more of which exploded — straight for the bay. A ter- 
rific fight ensued between the fort and Confederate 
squadron on one side and the Federal fleet on the 
other. Over two hundred guns were being fired at 
one time. By eight o'clock the last vessel had 
passed in, their loss being great in killed and wound- 
ed. On the Confederate side the Selma, an open- 
decked vessel most bravely fought by her captain, P. 
W. Murphy, had been captured, the Gaines sunk, 
and the Tennessee and Morgan left. The latter 
was of no further use in fighting so overwhelming a 
force. 

A very few minutes after the Federal fleet had an- 
chored in the bay, some three miles up. Admiral Buch- 



1864. THE FLORIDA AND THE ALBEMARLE. 157 

anan ordered Capt. Johnston to take the Confederate 
flagship Tennessee again into action. One ironclad 
against three monitors and fourteen wooden men- 
of-war! Tremendous odds! But there was nothing 
else to do. A magnificent display of bravery was 
now made for about two hours. This solitary vessel 
was in the midst of her foes, firing in every direction. 
She was the focus of the fire of two hundred guns, 
and shot and shell rained upon her sides like a deluge. 
Five times was she rammed by swiftly moving frig- 
ates, but she only spun around after the impact and 
sent shot and shell hurtling home until, smokestack 
and steering gear gone and port shutters jammed, 
she lay a log upon the water. When nothing else 
was possible, she surrendered. The Confederate loss 
on the little squadron was eight killed and ten wound- 
ed; on the Federal fleet the total loss was three hun- 
dred and fifty- two. 

In a day or two Fort Gaines was captured, but 
Gen. Page gallantly held Fort Morgan until the 23d 
of August, when, surrounded by fleet and army, he 
surrendered after a fierce bombardment of many 
hours. Mobile was held by the Confederates until 
the 8th of April, 1865. 

Destruction of the Florida and Albemarle. 

This naval disaster was followed by the destruction 
of two Confederate vessels. On the 7th of October 
the privateer Florida was anchored in the neutral 
harbor of San Salvador, in Brazil, with most of her 
crew upon the shore, when she was run into and cap- 
tured by the Federal vessel Wachusetts. For this 
outrage and violation of the laws of nations the gov- 



158 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1864. 

ernment at Washington afterwards apologized to 
Brazil. 

On the 27th of the same month the ram Albe- 
marle was exploded by a torpedo in the Roanoke 
river, but the agents in this expedition under Lieut. 
Gushing were captured. 

The Attempts upon Richmond. 

On the night of the 28th of September the Fed- 
erals again resumed their efforts against the Confed- 
erate line around Richmond by crossing to the north 
side of the James in large force. On the next morn- 
ing the Federals hurled their column against the Con- 
federate position at the Phillips House on Four Mile 
Run, but had the misfortune to encounter the Texas 
brigade, and w^ere repulsed with great loss. They 
followed this with another attack on Market Heights, 
with results equally disastrous. Another column of 
the Federals succeeded in getting possession of Fort 
Harrison before assistance could reach it, and then 
they advanced upon Fort Gilmer, but the gallant Con- 
federates repulsed them and sent them back with 
great loss. This action closed the day's fighting, and 
it was found that the Federals had lost over four 
thousand in killed and wounded, with six flags and 
five hundred prisoners. On the next day (the 30th) 
Gen. Field made an unsuccessful attempt to retake 
Fort Harrison, but, owing to a failure of support just 
at the proper time, he was repulsed. 

The dawn of October 6 saw the Confederates with 
Gen. Geary's Brigade of cavalry make a brilliant 
attack upon the Federals' right on the Charles City 
road, about five miles from Richmond. The latter 



1864. THE ATTEMPTS UPON RICHMOND. 159 

were driven back to their works, but the Confed- 
erates did not stop, but in their enthusiasm they 
rushed over the works, pushing the Federals out, and 
capturing seven hundred prisoners, nine guns, and 
one hundred horses. The Federals made another 
stand at their second line of intrenchments; but 
they melted away before the impetuous onslaught of 
the Confederates, and fled to the shelter of the guns 
of Fort Harrison. Reenforced, they returned to 
retake the works from which they had been beaten; 
but the Confederates sent them back shattered and 
broken with terrible loss, and night put an end to the 
contest. 

On the 27th Gen. Grant made an efi^'ort to turn Gen. 
Lee's left flank, and was advancing his columns by 
the Williamsburg and Nine Mile roads. The works 
on the latter position had been taken by three bri- 
gades of negro troops; but they could not maintain 
themselves long, for Hampton's Legion and the Twen- 
ty-Fourth Virginia drove them back with terrible 
slaughter. On the other road (the Williamsburg) 
the Federals had stationed their batteries, and were 
pouring shots and shells into the Confederate works. 
The latter endured this cannonading in silence, and 
thus misled the Federals into making a charge. Hav- 
ing reserved their fire until the Federals were close 
upon them, they made the ground tremble with the 
terrific thunder of their artillery and musketry, and 
the Federals broke and fled in confusion, with a loss, 
besides a considerable number in killed and wounded, 
of five hundred prisoners. Again, the attack upon 
the gray lines on the Boydton road proved no less dis- 
astrous to the Federals, for Gen. Mahone received 



160 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1864. 

them so valiantly that he soon had them in full re- 
treat, leaving with the Confederates as their spoils of 
victory over fom' hundred prisoners. 

Thus this human wall was still between the capital 
of the Confederacy and the Federals. With unbroken 
front the latter were met at every point, and in this 
autumn of 1864 they seemed as far from gaining their 
object as in the fall of 1861. But still the Federal 
general persisted, and made up in tenacity for any 
lack of military genius. Surely he must have had a 
certain premonition that one day these gray veterans 
who liung themselves so often between him and the 
goal of his struggles must inevitably succumb to the 
solid and almost innumerable lines which he was 
throwing around them, however heroically they might 
fight. 

Sheridan's Raid in the Valley. 

Coincident with his operations in the immediate 
vicinity of the city, the Federal commander adopted 
another plan, which, if successfully consummated, 
would deprive Gen. Lee of his source of supplies 
from the rich, productive valley of the Shenandoah. 
For this purpose Gen. Hunter was superseded on the 
8th of August by Gen. Sheridan, who had under his 
command no less than three corps, together with the 
divisions of Cook, Averill, and Kelly. With this 
large force he proceeded to take possession of Mar- 
tinsburg, Williamsport, and Winchester, Gen. Early 
falling gradually back before his advance. Near 
Winchester, however, on the 19th of September, 
though outnumbered nearly four to one, the Confed- 
erates made a stand. The Federals moved to the at- 
tack, and the engagement was stubbornly and hotly 



1864. BATTLE OF CEDAR CREEK. 161 

contested. One division of the Federals was broken 
and thrown into confusion, which the Confederates 
took advantage of and charged. A glorious victory 
seemed almost in their hands. The impetuous rush 
of Early's men was carrying everything before it, and 
the Federals were obliged to call their reserves to 
the rescue in order to restore their shattered lines. 
Unfortunately the Federals fell upon the Confed- 
erate cavalry on the left and threw it into confusion, 
which made a retreat necessary. Gen. Early then 
took up a strong position at Fisher's Hill, whither 
the Federals followed, and on the 22d moved to at- 
tack him. With their large numbers the Federals 
managed to literally surround Gen. Early's command 
and to force them from their intrenchments, driving 
them beyond Port Republic with a loss of over seven 
hundred prisoners. This victory left the Federals in 
complete possession of the rich valley, and they at 
once turned themselves loose in it, pillaging and de- 
stroying everything of worth and value, so that 
along their track were ruin and desolation. Farm 
and manufactory were leveled to the earth as if by 
the breath of a hurricane, and the beautiful and pic- 
turesque valley, that fairly blossomed like a garden, 
became as a desert and a waste place. 

Battle of Cedar Creek. 

The undaunted Early, in spite of his two defeats, 
was not yet prepared to allow the Federals to rest on 
their laurels without another struggle; therefore we 
find him again at Fisher's Hill on the 18th of October 
"with two corps of Sheridan's army in his front on 
the north side of Cedar Creek. Another corps, the 
11 



162 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1864. 

Sixth, was between Middletown and Newtown. Sher- 
idan himself was at Winchester, with his cavah-y a 
little withdrawn from the front." By a toilsome, ar- 
duous ni^ht march through a mountainous country, 
with the Shenandoah to be crossed twice, Gen. Early 
placed himself in front of the Federals. With a gal- 
lant, sweeping charge, he struck terror to them, tak- 
ing them completely by surprise, and soon had Sher- 
idan's magnificent army of three corps in a confused, 
panic-stricken retreat, leaving in the hands of the vic- 
torious Confederates their camps with one thousand 
live hundred prisoners; but the fatal mistake was 
made of stopping to plunder the abandoned booty of 
the Federals. This gave them time to reorganize 
their demoralized divisions and to renew the battle. 
Misfortune followed misfortune. In one of those in- 
explainable moments that come to men w^hose courage 
has been tested upon a hundred battlefields, the fol- 
lowers of Early, that had made illustrious the army 
of Virginia, gave way in a disordered retreat, sus- 
taining a total loss of three thousand, while the glory 
of one of the grandest victories of the war was just 
in their grasp. With this reverse the larger portion 
of his army was transferred to assist Gen. Lee around 
Richmond. 

Gen. Breckinridge in East Tennessee. 

While these important battles were taking place in 
Northern Virginia Gen. Breckinridge had adminis- 
tered two severe defeats upon the Federals in the 
Southwest: one on the Holston river on the 2d of 
Octo))er, and one at Morristown, Tenn., on the 18th 
of November. On the 20th of the following month 



1864. BATTLE OF JOHNSONVILLE. 163 

the Federals made a raid into Virginia, capturing the 
salt works at Saltville, and, forcing the Col. Preston 
to evacuate Fort Breckinridge, they sacked the town 
of Abingdon. 

Battle of Johnson ville. 

Gen. Forrest reported to Gen. Dick Taylor at Cher- 
okee Station, Ala., and requested that Gen. Chambers 
be returned to his command, having in view another 
raid into Middle Tennessee; which was agreed to by 
Gen. Taylor, who had determined upon the destruc- 
tion of government stores at Johnsonville. The 
greater part of supplies accumulating at this point 
were for Sheridan's forces and those serving in Mid- 
dle and East Tennessee. Gen. Chalmers reported to 
Gen. Forrest October 20. He ordered Buford's Di- 
vision to Big Sandy, on the Tennessee river. In the 
meantime a small force was sent out to watch the 
movements of the Federals at Memphis. All the ap- 
proaches to the city were barricaded with cotton, and 
great alarm was manifested by those in authority. 
On the 29th Gen. Buford captured the transport 
Mazeppa, heavily laden with supplies. On the 30th 
Gen. Chalmers captured the Undine and the transport 
Venus. The provisions on these boats were greatly 
enjoyed by the Confederates. Gen. Forrest re- 
paired the boats and detailed crews for them, and 
with the land forces moved on Johnsonville. No- 
vember 1, meeting the gunboats, the Undine was 
disabled, set fire to, and abandoned. During the 
rain and darkness of the night the batteries were 
placed in position and concealed. At twelve o'clock 
they opened on Johnsonville. Morton's Battery 



164 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1864. 

did terrible work. For an hour the conflict raged. 
Two gunboats were disabled, and a third one 
abandoned, all drifting toward the transports and 
heavily laden barges. At 4 p.m. every gunboat and 
transport was destroyed. The shells from the bat- 
teries soon finished the work. Barrels of whisky and 
and turpentine caught the flames, and the burning 
liquor ran down in torrents of liquid flame. Three 
gunboats, eleven transports, and eighteen barges 
were destroyed The Federal estimate of their loss 
at Johnson ville was eight million dollars. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

BATTLE OF FKANKLIN, TENN. 

It now becomes necessary to resume the narrative 
of Gen. Hood's movements after the evacuation of At- 
lanta. In reviewing these forces on the 18th of Sep- 
tember President Davis had told Cheatham's Division 
to be of good cheer, for within a short while their 
faces would be turned homeward, and their feet 
pressing Tennessee soil. 

Ten days later Gen, Hood took up his line of march 
toward Tennessee, with Sherman following on the 
3d of October. On the 12th the Confederates took 
Dalton, Ga. ; thence they proceeded to La Fayette, 
Ga. ; and from that place they moved across to Gads- 
den, Ala., pursued by Gen. Sherman as far as Gayles- 
ville, Ala. The latter cut himself loose from all 
communication with the north, and took up his 
celebrated movement to the sea, while Gen. Hood ad- 
vanced into Tennessee, driving the enemy constantly 
before him, and forcing Gen. Scholield to fall back 
from Columbia on the 26th of November, with the 
loss of a large quantity of stores. "The retreat to 
Franklin was one of constant fighting. Skirmishing 
of the heaviest and deadliest character was maintained 
all the way. Forrest hung like a raging tiger upon 
the flank. . . . The Confederates pressed on — 
Forrest leading, Cheatham next, and Stewart follow- 
ing. Stephen D. Lee was still in the rear, but com- 
ing up." At Spring Hill Gen. Hood hoped to cut ofl' 










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COTTON GIM 



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Map of Battlefield of Franklin. 



1864. BATTLE OF FRANKLIN, TENN. 167 

the Federals' defeat, but from a misunderstanding of 
orders they were allowed to escape during the night. 
They were closely pressed the next morning, leaving 
evidences of their hasty retreat on every side. In 
this way the march was continued until the evening 
of November 30, when Gen. Hood found himself be- 
fore the frowning breastworks of the town of Frank- 
lin. Many of the troops under him were now upon 
the soil of their native State, which had long been in 
the possession of the Federals. They could look 
around them and see the homes that had been denied 
them for many a long day, and for which now at 
their very thresholds they were to do battle. With 
such incentives as these urging them to action, at 
four o'clock in the afternoon they began one of the 
grandest attacks of the war, an attack illuminated by 
as sublime an exhibition of personal courage from 
field ofiicer to the humblest private in the ranks as 
has ever blazoned the records of human bravery. 

It is said the dropping of a flag by Gen. Cheatham 
was the signal for the charge. With a characteristic 
yell and tremendous force onward they advanced, 
stopping not nor halting, however obstinately the 
Federals might resist, and however thick might be 
the awful, bloody field of carnage with their own 
dead. The attack in the center by Gen. John C. 
Brown, of Cheatham's Corps, with Gen. Bate on his 
left, swept onward with a force that seemed almost 
irresistible. Gens. Brown, Edward Johnson, Mani- 
gault, Quarles, Cockrill, and Scales were wounded; 
Gen. G. W. Gordon, with part of his command, was 
captured inside the Federal's works. On the right 
Gen. Stewart's Corps fought desperately; Gen. John 



168 A NAERATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1864. 

Adams' brigade of Mississippians, of Loring's Divi- 
sion, received a fearful enfilading lire from the Fed- 
eral fort on the opposite side of Harpeth River; but 
onward to the charge they went. In the act of leap- 
ing his charger over the FederaPs works Gen. Adams 
was killed and fell within the intrenchments, and 
"Old Charley," his horse, was also killed, his form, 
powerful even in death, striding the Federal works, 
his legs reaching to the bottom of the ditch, his head 
on the parapet as if still breathing defiance at the foe. 
This was the last battle of the gallant Cleburne. 
Gens. Gists, Grandberry, Carter, and Strahl fell in 
this bloody conflict. On that crimson battleground 
many a knightly soul went out within sight of the 
firesides where the wives and little ones were pray- 
ing and watching for the absent soldier's return. 

A pathetic incident of this battle was the mortal 
wound, at the very threshold of his home, of young 
Carter. Here the noble deeds of gentle women 
beamed brightly. Col. John McGavock's residence 
in the battleground was used as a field hospital. 
With her own hands Mrs. McGavock attended to the 
wounded and dying with a heroism that seemed in- 
spired. The eminent author, Rev. Henry M. Field, 
as a tribute to the courage of both armies, says the 
battle of Franklin was more desperate than that of 
Waterloo. Though the gray dawn of the next day 
saw the Federals flying toward Nashville, the victory 
was dearly bought. The sacrifice these soldiers of- 
fered on the altar of their country was great. 

Battle of Nashville. 
Through the kindness of Rev. Dr. D. C. Kelley, 



1864. BATTLE OF NASHVILLE, TENN. 169 

of Nashville, Tenn., we are favored with his experi- 
ence during the battle of Nashville. With the rank 
colonel, he served as a brigadier during that memo- 
rable time. 

"Gen. Hood pursued the retreating Federal army 
to Nashville. Chalmers' Division of Cavalry that 
evening, in advance, reached a point from which they 
could see the last of Gen. Schoiield's forces entering 
the city. No orders came from Hood to press for- 
ward. Had such orders been given, the probabilities 
are that the Federal army would have crossed Cum- 
berland River without attempting to hold Nashville. 
Hood invested the city so far as his decreased forces 
would allow, after sending Forrest, with two divi- 
sions of cavalry and two brigades of infantry, toward 
Murfreesboro. Thomas pressed forward the work of 
adding fortifications to a position already strongly 
fortified, and waited for reenforcements until such 
time as he was sure his army greatly outnumbered 
Hood's. Hood dreamed that it was possible to rally 
a considerable addition to his worn, decimated, and 
freezing army from the country around him; he for- 
got that the Tennesseeans he expected to rally to him 
were sleeping their last sleep in Virginia and on the 
battlefields of the West. No young men were left to 
hear his bugle call. There were not enouo^h as^ed 

O OCT 

men at home to care for the women and children. 

"After the battle of Franklin Hood had but two 
ways to success open to him. One, to press into 
Nashville with the rear of the Federal army; the oth- 
er, to retreat. He did neither, but held his ill- clad 
forces in the open field unprotected in the cold, until 
Thomas, with new recruits, chose to give battle with 




Map of the Battlefield of Nashville. 



1864. BATTLE OF NASHVILLE, TENN. Vtl 

overwhelmino^ numbers. When Thomas moved out, 
on December 15, the investing army extended from 
Brown's Creek on the right to the Cumberland river, 
six miles below Nashville, on the left. There was 
little more than a skirmish line on a good part of the 
ground. From the Harding pike to the river below 
Nashville, more than two miles, there were less than 
fifteen hundred cavalry. The attack was begun at 
this point with seven thousand Federal cavalry. The 
whole Confederate line repulsed the attacking forces 
on the first day, except the then thin line of infantry 
on the right of and across the Harding pike. When 
this part of the line gave way it left the cavalry on 
the left without support. 

"The next morning found Hood's line shortened so 
that his left rested near the Hillsboro pike. The cav- 
alry had, by a detour, marching all night, reached 
this pike just at daybreak with their artillery and 
wagon train intact. 

"Hood's line, on the morning of the 16th, sought 
to cover the space between Brown's Creek on the right 
and the Hillsboro road on the left. Here, from early 
morning until approaching night, the battle raged. 
The cavalry, now less than one thousand strong, re- 
pulsed all attempts upon the part of the Federal cav- 
alry to pass the Confederate left until late in the aft- 
ernoon. The Federal forces were massed in a most 
advantageous position, from which their artillery en- 
filaded our weak line of infantry holding position 
near the Granny White road. Twice the Federals 
were driven back when charging in overwhelming 
numbers. Tennesseeans were fighting on Tennessee 
soil — fighting as men fight for their own firesides. A 



172 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 



1864. 



third time the Federals moved to the charge. First, 
a line of skirmishers; then two dense lines came in 
sight, passing the summit of the hills. The veterans 
of many hard-fought battles knew that resistance 
longer was madness. Looking down their own thin 
line, realizing there were no reserves, they were 
aware that to stand longer was to invoke a stampede 
or surrender. Without waiting for orders, they 
began with firm tread to move to the rear. These 
men were veterans, tried and true; they did what was 
best. This movement compelled the retreat of the 
whole army. The small body of cavalry had been 
actively employed throughout the day resisting the 
effort of the Federal cavalry to pass the left flank. 
Soon after the retreat began. 

"An order reached the commanding officer from 
Gen. Hood, saying: ' The army is in full retreat. Hold 
the Federals off my flank at all hazards.' The one 
brigade of Confederate cavalry had by this time been 
reduced to less than one thousand. Dismountine: all 
but two squadrons, which he placed on either flank, 
he threw his command across the Granny White pike 
just in time to meet and repel the fierce charge of the 
Federal cavalry. For three fateful hours, until night 
had closed in, he held this position, rolling back 
onset after onset of the opposing force until he found 
himself about to be surrounded in the darkness. 
Mounting his men, by a rapid gallop he threw him- 
self between the Federal cavalry and the rear of the 
army, then passing Brentwood. The Federal au- 
thorities vary as to the number of their cavalry which 
had been thus held in check; none of them place it 
less than seven thousand, some of them as high as 



1864. SHERMAN'S MARCH TO THE SEA. 173 

fourteen thousand. Had this body struck Hood's 
flank at the hour his command was received, half his 
army had never crossed Harpeth River at Franklin. 
Two divisions of Federal cavalry are mentioned in 
Scribner's War Series as engaged in this night at- 
tack. 

" From Brentwood to Columbia the cavalry kept in 
the rear of the retreating Confederates. The Feder- 
als had ten to one of fresh cavalry in pursuit, but 
only once did they break the stubborn line which 
held them at bay. At Columbia, Forrest, with Jack- 
son's and Buford's Divisions, arrived from Murfrees- 
boro, and, being supported by Walthall's Infantry, 
turned the retreat into an attack and won, out of dis- 
aster, two such victories over the pursuing forces that 
the Federals ceased to press the pursuit before Hood's 
footsore veterans reached the Tennessee river. Why 
the whole army was not captured by this overwhelm- 
ing Federal force it is hard to understand." 

Sherman's March to the Sea. 

Gen. Sherman now abandons all posts south of 
Dalton. From Gaylorsville and Rome the work of 
destruction commenced. Thousands of bales of cot- 
ton, flour mills, machine shops, depots, buildings, 
storehouses, bridges were destroyed. The whole 
line back to Atlanta was one continuous track of 
smoke and flame. November 15 destruction began in 
Atlanta. Buildings covering two hundred acres had 
the torch applied. The heavens appeared to be one 
solid sheet of flame. Amid this terrible scene of suf- 
fering Gen. Sherman's bands played "John Brown's 
Soul Goes Marching On." The main outline of the 



1864. SHERMAN'S MARCH TO THE SEA. 175 

march was as follows: Gen. Howard, right on the 
Georgia Central road through Macon and Milliedge- 
ville to Savannah; Slocum, directly east, on the rail- 
road from Atlanta to Augusta, burning as they went; 
cavalry, north of Slocum, south of Howard. Orders 
were given to feed man and beast on the country. 
Supplies in this region were abundant; transportation 
being difficult, Sherman's army was well fed. Slocum 
now moved on the Augusta roilroad. Reaching a 
beautiful little town called Madison, he completely 
demolished it. November 21 he entered Milledge- 
ville. From that place he moved toward Augusta. He 
had utterly devastated the richest portion of Georgia; 
but now he is in the piney woods, leaving behind him 
four hundred miles of utter desolation and perfect 
wrecks of railroads, with no restraint whatever on his 
army. 

December 2 Sherman entered a little village called 
Millen and destroyed it. In six columns he marched 
toward Savannah. Ten miles from there he encoun- 
tered a small force of Hardee's Corps. December 10 
he formed a line of battle and made an effort to con- 
nect with Dahlgreen's fleet, so as to capture Fort Mc- 
Alister. This fort had resisted three bombardments by 
the Federal ironclads. A whole division was ordered 
for the work. Manfully they went over the parapet 
wall, many a one never to get out alive. The little 
band of Confederates fought them desperately. 
Knowing he was outnumbered. Gen. Hardee, while 
Gen. Sherman and his men were sleeping, with his 
army and wagon trains marched out, evacuated Sa- 
vannah without the slightest molestation, and next 
day landed them on the Carolina shore. 



176 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 



1865. 



This movement of Sherman's is considered a grand 
piece of strategy by his friends. We cannot agree to 
any great military merit, or anything approaching 
to a hero in the commander. He had no opposition; 
going over distance with desolation in his track was 
no great strategy. Yet this march is compared to 
Napoleon's march to Moscow. 

Attempts upon Wilmington. 

The next objective point of the Federals was Wil- 
mington, N. C, especially defended by Fort Fisher. 
Therefore on the 22d of December we find Admiral 
Porter before Fort Fisher, with the largest fleet un- 
der his command the Federals had ever yet assem- 
bled. Operations were began on the same night by 
the explosion of a ''powder" vessel close under the 
walls of the fort, w^hich was expected to destroy it. 
But this ingenious contrivance totally failed of its 
purpose, and the next day was consumed in a heavy 
bombardment, to which the brave garrison responded 
vigorously and warmly. Meantime Gen. Butler came 
up with a land force six thousand five hundred strong, 
which was to attack the fort in conjunction with the 
fleet. All the next day the fleet kept up a terrific 
cannonading, so that the earth trembled as if in the 
throes of an earthquake. But still the defenders of 
the fort worked their guns in a magnificent fashion. 
The land force did not risk an attack, and this expe- 
dition proved such a complete failure as to cost Gen. 
Butler his command. 

However, the Federals were not content with their 
reverse from such an important point, and by Janu- 
ary 13, 1865, they had another force, stronger by two 



1865. FALL OF CHARLESTON AND COLUMBIA. 177 

thousand men, before the walls of 'Fort Fisher. Dur- 
ing the night they had succeeded in landing and 
throwing up such a strong line of intrenchments that 
Gen. Bragg decided not to attempt to dislodge them, 
but to reenf orce the fort. The continuous bombard- 
ment from the fleet never ceased, and, with their at- 
tention thus engaged toward defending themselves 
from the water, on the night of the 15th the garrison 
were attacked by an assaulting column four thousand 
strong. In spite of the fact that they were worn out 
and exhausted with the hard and arduous labor of 
manning the guns, for three long hours they resisted 
with a courage born of desperation, until the force 
of numbers compelled them to surrender, though in- 
deed not until eight hundred of the Federals lay dead 
and wounded. 

From this victory the Federals did not get imme- 
diate possession of the town of Wilmington, for it 
was not abandoned by Gen. Bragg until the latter 
part of February, when he retreated into the interior 
of the State, and left it in their hands without resist- 
ance. 

Fall of Charleston and Columbia. 

Almost one month from his success at Savannah 
Gen. Sherman again set his column in motion toward 
the north, with Charleston as the objective point, 
Gen. Hardee, perceiving that his forces were much 
too small to ofl^"er anything like a successful resist- 
ance, and appreciating the importance of making a 
juncture with Gens. Beauregard and Cheatham, after 
burning all government buildings and stores, aban- 
doned to the rapacity of the Federals the historic, 
noble old city, which place they entered February 18. 
12 



178 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1865. 

The indentations of shells, the marks of fire, the ruins 
on every side, stood like grand though somber and 
sorrowful monuments to the heroism of a people who 
had endured so bravely and so patiently all the hor- 
rors and misfortunes that come in the train of war — 
siege and bombardment, rapine and murder — yet so 
noble and eloquent in her ruins, so very typical of 
the whole South, whose very scars were a glory and 
honor to her, telling a grand story of how she had 
fought and toiled and struggled and labored in the 
face of adverse circumstances. 

Leaving Branch ville, Gen. Sherman still continued 
his devastating march. Columbia met even a more 
terrible fate than Charleston. A large portion of the 
town was given to the devouring flames, while no 
part of it escaped the thirst for robbery and plunder 
which had taken complete possession of the Federal 
army. Citizens were rendered houseless and home- 
less, and whatever valuables they had the Federals 
appropriated to their own use. 

On this band of invaders advanced; nor did they 
abate those tactics that had first characterized their 
entrance into the State of Georgia. On the 6th of 
March they crossed the Great Pedee river, against 
the towns of Laurel Hill and Montpelier, N. C, 
meeting with no resistance until March 10, when Gen. 
Kilpatrick's forces received a severe blow at the hands 
of Gen. Wade Hampton. On the 16th the Federals 
came up with Gen. Hardee, who was fortified between 
Cape Fear River and Black Creek. The latter gal- 
lantly sustained three assaults from two corps under 
Gen. Slocum, and then retreated. The severity of the 
engagement is shown by the fact that the Federals 



1865. 



BATTLE OF BENTONVILLE. 179 



lost thirty-three hundred men, while the Confeder- 
ates lost only four hundred and fifty. 

Battle of Bentonville. 

On the 19th of February Gen. Bragg and Stewart's 
Corps reached an elevation twelve miles from Benton- 
ville and sixteen miles from a place called Smithfield. 
Gen. Hardee arrived on the scene of action; Hope's 
Division Avhich had been across the road; Stewart's 
Corps on the right. The attack was vigorous. Gens. 
McLaw and Taliaferro were placed on Gen. Stewart's 
right. The Federals were severely repulsed on the 
left by Gen. Loring's Division; on the right the 
Confederates drove the Fourteeeth Corps a mile to a 
dense thicket. 

This battle began at three o'clock and continued 
until dark. Had Gen. Wheeler's cavalry not been 
kept by a swollen stream, the Federal rear would 
have had a panic. After burying the dead and re- 
moving the wounded of both armies. General John- 
ston resumed his first position. Gen. Johnston's ob- 
ject in making this fight was to cripple Gen. Sher- 
man before he could form a junction with Schofield, 
but as it was the Confederates gained a victory. 
With fourteen thousand soldiers they met the Four- 
teenth and Twentieth Corps of the Federals, also 
Kilpatrick's Cavalry, an aggregate of forty thousand 
men. On the 20th Sherman's whole army was in front 
of Gen. Johnston, the Confederates being compelled 
to fight to bring off the wounded. Before daybreak 
on the 22d Gen. Johnston moved toward Smithfield, 
his loss in three days being fourteen hundred and 
ninety-nine wounded a,nd eight hundred prisoners, 



180 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1865. 

Sherman effected the junction with Schofield — an 
army of one hundred thousand men. Sherman now 
hastened to City Point for a conference with Presi- 
dent Lincoln and Gen. Grant. 

Capture of Mobile. 

Mobile was well protected, supplies for a siege 
abundant, Gen. Maury in command. Eight thou- 
sand soldiers were the whole force. On the 26th of 
March Gen. Canby, with sixty thousand troops, ap- 
peared, accompanied by a heavy fleet of gun- 
boats, in front of Fort Blakely and Spanish Fort, 
which were a distance of twelve miles from Mobile. 
Gen. Randall Gibson, of Louisiana, conducted the 
defense of Spanish Fort with the Louisiana veteran 
brigade, an Alabama brigade, the Twenty-Second 
Louisiana Heavy Artillery, and three companies of 
light artillery. The Federals, with overw^helming 
numbers, were bold and defiant. On the 8th of April 
Gen. Maury gave orders for the removal of all the 
forces from the forts to the city. Gen. St. John Lid- 
dell, of Louisiana, had charge of Fort Blakely. The 
garrison consisted of Mississippians and Missourians. 
Col. Spence's cavalry force was ordered to burn the 
cotton. After a noble defense during the four years, 
beautiful Mobile surrendered at last. During the en- 
tire struggle her ports were used as the best entry 
for blockade runners, bringing medicines and other 
necessaries for the army as well as the people. In 
this beautiful city, interred in Soldiers' Rest (Con- 
federate Cemetery), lie the remains of Gen. Braxton 
Bragg, also by his side soldiers from all parts of our 
Southland, each having a marble head and foot stone 



1865. CAPTUKE OF MOBILE. 181 

bearing their name. In the Catholic burial ground 
repose the bodies of Admiral Semmes and our poet 
priest, Father Ryan, a simple slab with the beautiful 
inscription. In Memoriam^ marking their resting 
place. 



CHAPTER XXV. 

THE END. 

One needs no prophetic eye to see that the final 
act in the great drama is near at hand — that the 
catastrophe is approaching. The North, with her 
mighty hosts, is tightening and drawing in her lines. 
The South, though she had gained victory after vic- 
tory, never had a force adequate to consummate the 
war in a complete victory for the Confederacy. 
Therefore, from the beginning it was merely a ques- 
tion of time when those very first victories them- 
selves, as paradoxical as it may seem, hastened defeat; 
for they cost many lives, and the Confederate dead 
that lay upon the battlefields of Murfreesboro, Shi- 
loh, Gettysburg, Chancellorsville, and other places, 
could not be replaced with the living; whereas the 
North was rich in men and resources, and her armies 
stretched in an almost unbroken line from the Poto- 
mac to the Rio Grande. What could a Confederate 
victory avail against such a power, with the whole 
world for a recruiting ground '(; The South had worn 
herself literally out with the victories won from the 
Federals, and now, with a depleted army and an ex- 
hausted commissary, one only wonders in admiration 
that divine courage could so triumph over the weak- 
ness of human physical nature as to enable those vet- 
erans of the Army of Virginia and of the Army of 
Tennessee to resist so long and so bravely. 



1365. CLOSING CONFLICTS. 183 

Peace Conference. 

Early in the year 1865 a conference took place be- 
tween President Lincoln, Mr. Seward, and three com- 
missioners appointed by President Davis: Messrs. 
Stephens, Campbell, and Hunter. The meeting was 
held on board a steamer anchored in Hampton Roads; 
but the government at Washington still insisted upon 
terms which the Confederacy would not accept, and 
nothing tangible resulted from the conference. 

Consequently hostilities in Northern Virginia were 
again resumed by Sheridan once more raiding up the 
Shenandoah valley. Near Waynesboro, toward the 
end of February, he fell upon the weakened rem- 
nants of Gen. Early's Division, defeated them, and 
took as many as thirteen hundred prisoners. Thence 
the Federals proceeded on their course of destruc- 
tion, and finally joined Gen. Meade near Petersburg. 

Closing Conflicts. 
The Federals continued to batter with their huge 
forces the weakened, poorly fed, and ill-clothed lines 
in the immediate vicinity of Richmond. On the 6th 
of February they flung themselves against Pegram^s 
Division, and Avere on the point of overpowering it 
when Gen. Evans arrived with Gen. Gordon's Di- 
vision. Charge after charge was made, but still the 
Federals managed to maintain themselves until the 
Confederates were further reenforced by Gen. Ma- 
hone. With their former enthusiasm and spirit they 
swept the Federals before them in confusion to the 
shelter of their fortifications at Hatcher's Run. 

This was followed by a well-planned attack upon 
the Federals' position at Hare's Hill, near Appomat- 



184 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1865. 

tox. Here again was a glimmer of the glory of the 
former days of the war. Early on the morning of 
March 25 Gen. Gordon sm-prised and captured a con- 
siderable portion of the Federal works, repulsing 
brilliantly two successive attacks of their infantry to 
regain them. But the Confederates were forced by 
the artillery which the Federals massed against them 
to abandon the position which they had taken, carry- 
ing back with them, however, seventeen pieces of ar- 
tillery and six hundred prisoners. 

This partial, spasmodic success was more than 
counterbalanced on the 1st and 2d of April by the 
blows which the Federals struck against the gray wall 
around Petersburg, now grown so thin that it would 
seem sheer madness for them to attempt to offer re- 
sistance to the heavy, unbroken columns of the Fed- 
erals. However, they fought in the face of despair 
itself, and were pierced by the numerous hosts of the 
Federals. 

Here in the closing scenes Gen. A. P. Hill, another 
of the South's great leaders, laid down his life for the 
Confederate cause, and was placed in the muster roll 
of immortals as one of the heroes in the struggle. 
But yet a greater loss was in store for the South. 
The clouds were gathering to cast their shadows over 
the brightness of that spring day. The city of their 
love, for the defense of which their best, their truest 
blood had been poured out — in front of whose forti- 
fications lay the bones of those whose return was 
watched for in the Carolinas, in Tennessee, in Geor- 
gia, in Louisiana, in Mississippi, in Alabama, and in 
far-off' Texas — was soon to be given over into the hands 
of the foeman. 



1865. THE SUKKENDER. 185 

While President Davis was attending church on the 
2d of April a notice was brought to him from Gen. 
Lee, telling him of the disaster at Petersburg, which 
made the evacuation of Richmond necessary on that 
very night. As President Davis retired the services 
were put to an end, and the dread news soon spread 
all over the city, causing many a cheek to blanch and 
many a strong heart to throb in unspeakable sorrow 
over the loss of this the last stronghold and the only 
hope of the young government that had lived its life 
in the midst of the troublous times of war. Night 
came, and Richmond was without defenders; and, to 
add to the gloom of the situation many large ware- 
houses had been burned by the retreating Confeder- 
ates, that their contents might not fall into the hands 
of the victor. In this conflagation it would seem 
that the hopes which in the moments of victory prom- 
ised a glorious consummation in the formation of a 
free, happy, contented union of individual States, into 
which jealousy, passion, and prejudice could find no 
place, were being consumed and only the dead ashes 
of despair were left them. 

Early on the morning following the evacuation a 
detachment of cavalry from Gen. WeitzePs Division 
planted the United States flag upon the dome of the 
capitol, and later in the day Gen. Weitzel himself en- 
tered the city and put it under martial law. 

The Surrender. 

The fortunes of the little band under Gen. Lee need 
not be pressed much farther. They were now on the 
north side of the Appomattox river, with the Feder- 
als pressing and harassing them on all sides, and grad- 



186 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1865. 

ually capturing squad after squad of his worn and ex- 
hausted troops. Against such a force as that of the 
Federals it would be utterly useless for him to hurl 
his decimated columns. Moreover, many of his men, 
foreseeing the inevitable result, had left the ranks, 
and were seeking to escape to their homes in order to 
avoid subjecting themselves to the humiliation of a 
surrender. The Federal commander himself clearly 
perceived the sure doom that awaited the once glori- 
ous army of Northern Virginia — still grand even in 
the midst of its misfortunes — and on the 7th of April 
sent a demand for the surrender of the troops that 
had made themselves the admiration of the world. 
After a correspondence lasting through two days, the 
following terms were proposed by Gen. Grant, and 
agreed to by Gen. Lee on the 9th: 

Roll of all officers and men to be made in duplicate, and one 
copy to be given to an officer to be designated by me and the 
other to be retained by such officers as you may designate; the 
officers to give their individual parole not to take up arms 
against the government of the United States until properly 
exchanged, and each company or regimental commander to 
sign a like parole for the men of their commands. The arms, 
artillery, and public property to be packed and stacked and 
turned over by me to officers appointed to receive them. This 
will not embrace the side arms of the officers nor their private 
horses or baggage. 

This done, each officer and man will be allowed to return 
to their homes, not to be disturbed by United States authori- 
ty so long as they observe their parole and the laws in force 
where they may reside. 

The conference between Gen. Lee and Gen. Grant 
was held in the residence of Mr. Wilmer McLean, at 
Appomattox C. H. The meeting was of the simplest 




Col. John Overton's Residence, Gen. Hood's Headquarters at the Bat- 
tle of Nashville. (See page 168.) 






Mr. Wilmer McLean's Ucsiilence, Where Gen. Lee Surrendered. 



1865. THE SURBENDER. 189 

character. Each conducted himself with dignity and 
courtesy, the Federal commander displaying a mag- 
nanimity worthy of recording in that he subjected 
Gen. Lee to no humiliating forms and conditions. 
The result was that Gen. Lee issued the following or- 
der to his troops: 

General Okdek No. 9. 

After four years of arduous service, marked by unsurpassed 
courage and fortitude, the Army of Northern Virginia has been 
compelled to yield to overwhelming numbers and resources. 

I need not tell the brave survivors of so many hard-fought 
battles who have remained steadfast to the last that I have 
consented to this result from, no distrust of them; but, feeling 
that valor and devotion could accomplish nothing that would 
compensate for the loss that must have attended the continua- 
tion of the contest, I determined to avoid the sacrifice of those 
whose past services have endeared them to their countrymen. 

By the terms of agreement, officers and men can return to 
their homes and remain until exchanged. You will take with 
you the satisfaction that proceeds from the consciousness of 
duty faithfully performed, and I earnestly pray that a merci- 
ful God will extend to you his blessings and protection. 

With an unceasing admiration of your constancy and de- 
votion to your country, and a grateful remembrance of your 
kind and generous consideration of myself, I bid you an affec- 
tionate farewell. R. E. Lee, General. 

April 10, 1865. 

With this ends the story of the Army of Northern 
Virginia. A glorious story it is, too. They had 
fought a good fight, and had kept the faith with the 
country and the principles which they had espoused. 
They did their duty nobly, and have left to the keep- 
ing of the land for which they battled the record of 
their sublime devotion and incomparable courage. 
Taking leave of their leader, in whom they ever had 



190 A NARRATIVE OF THE CIVIL WAR. 1865. 

a steadfast faith, whether in victory or defeat, they 
turned their weary steps to their desolated homes, 
where fond hearts were waiting to welcome the bat- 
tle-scarred soldier; and with the same grand corn-age 
with which they had brightened the pages of human 
history, they went to work to rehabilitate the wasted 
farm and the deserted workshop. 

The surrender of the other divisions of the Confed- 
erates necessarily followed that of Gen. Lee in rapid 
succession. April 18 Gen. Joseph E. Johnston sur- 
rendered near Greensboro, N. C. ; Gen. Dick Taylor 
to Gen. Can by at Citronelle, Ala., May 4; and Gen. 
Kirby Smith to the same general at Baton Rouge, 
La., on the 26th. Thus ended the long and arduous 
struggle which the South made for the rights she had 
under the Constitution, and in this straggle those 
who wore the gray and stepped to the inspiring 
strains of "Dixie" under the banner of the Southern 
cross, decked with its stars, have made their uniform 
a symbol of the sublimest courage of the soldier and 
the truest devotion of the patriot. 



APPENDIX. 

We are indebted to Gen. Marcus J. Wright for the fol- 
lowing : 

Washington, D. C, January 12, 1899. 

The official report of the adjutant general of the United 
States army, October 9, 1880, reports the number of men fur- 
nished the United States army during the civil war as 2,778,- 
304. Aggregate reduced to three years' standard, 2,320,369. 
Absence of many of the Confederate muster rolls makes it 
impossible to give the exact number in the Confederate army, 
but the best estimates put the whole number during the war 
at between six and seven hundred thousand, not exceeding 
the latter number. 

The losses in the Federal army, from reports of the adjutant 
general to the surgeon general, were : Killed in battle, 44,238; 
died of wounds, 49,204; suicide, homicide, and executions, 
526 ; died of disease, 186,216 ; unknown causes, 24,184. Total, 
304.639. Of these, 269.265 were white and 33,380 colored. 

Dr. Joseph Jones, surgeon Confederate army, gives esti- 
mate of Confederate losses, of which I send you a rough 
memorandum. 

Very truly, Marcus J. Wright. 

General Wright also furnishes the following statistics com- 
piled by the late Dr. Joseph Jones, surgeon general of the 
Confederate army : 

Year. Killed. "Wounded. Prisoners. 

1861 1,315 4,054 2,772 

1862 18,522 6,859 48,300 

1863 11,876 55,313 71,211 

1864-65 22,000 70,000 80,000 

Total 53,713 136,226 202,283 



192 APPENDIX. 

If deaths from disease be added, the sum total will repre- 
sent the entire loss. The returns of the field and general 
hospitals are known for 1861-62 : 

Confederates killed in battle, 1861-62 19,597 

Deaths caused by wounds, field hospitals 1,623 

Deaths caused by wounds, general hospitals 2,618 

Deaths caused by disease, field hospitals 14,597 

Deaths caused by disease, general hospitals 16,741 

Total 1861-62 55,176 

Total wounded in C. S. A., 1861-62 72,713 

Total prisoners in C. S. A., 1861-62 51,072 

Total discharged in C. S. A., 1861-62 16,940 

Total wounded and discharged prisoners, 1861-62. . .140,725 

If it be fair to assume that the total mortality of 1863-64 
was fully equal to that of 1862, then the total deaths in the 
Confederate Army, 1861-65, were at least 160,000, exclusive of 
deaths in the northern prisons, which would swell the num- 
ber to near 185,000; and if the deaths from the discharged 
for wounds and disease and amongst the sick and wounded 
on furloughs be added, the grad total will not fall far short of 
200,000. According to this calculation, the deaths from dis- 
ease were about three times as numerous as those resulting 
from the casualties in battle. 



There is but one conclusion for the dispassionate historian 
to admit, and that is: the downfall of the Confederacy was 
due to the overpowering numbers of the Federals. The only 
just basis of comparison between military forces of the North 
and the South is to be found in a careful statement of the 
population. If we add to the free States those that followed 
their lead (Delaware, Maryland, Missouri, and Kentucky) 
and to these the districts under command of the Federals from 
an early period of the war, (say half of Tennessee and a third 
of Virginia), we have a population, by the census of 1860, of 
23,485,722 on the Federal side. This leaves the Confederacy 
7,662,325. Called by President Lincoln from April 15, 1861, 
to April, 1865, 2,859,000 soldiers; from the South, 600,000. 



my 26 1900 



m 



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